Before the Brexit referendum, the Leave Campaign were clear: we would not be leaving the Single Market – here are Johnson and Hannan confirming that – and there would be no economic downside. And now we read that not only have we left the Single Market, but the UK economy will be 4% smaller than […]
This is an approximate transcript of a discussion Mark E Thomas held with the Thor Lion doscussion group on the evening of 10 June 2021. Good evening. With luck, we are within sight of the end of COVID-19 as a major health and economic risk. That is far from certain, unfortunately, but it is […]
Among many other controversial decisions in the spending review, the government decided to cut the UK’s overseas aid budget by around 28% or almost £4 billion per annum. Like many unsound decisions, this one was justified on the basis of that all-purpose excuse, the narrative of unaffordability. In this case the government claimed that “the […]
The government has announced that from July 1, they plan to share GP records with organisations outside the NHS: Patient data from GP medical records kept by GP practices in England is used every day to improve health, care and services through planning and research, helping to find better treatments and improve patient care. […]
The government has announced its intention to hold an Inquiry into lessons that can be learned from the COVID pandemic. It has also said that now is not the time to hold such an Inquiry – it intends to launch this one in spring 2022. Of course, it is true that we shall know more […]
The Queen’s speech is, as Her Majesty pointed out, written by the government. In the case of the speech she delivered on 11 May 2021, opinions seem divided. Some have claimed that there was not much to it. Tim Montgomerie, a former adviser to Number 10 described it as “a thin Queen’s Speech. This is […]
Labour has lost Hartlepool. A once-safe labour seat now has a Conservative majority of 25%. And a variety of conflicting explanations are already forthcoming, including: the Labour Party still hasn’t recovered from Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership; Sir Keir Starmer is not the leader the Labour Party needs – with over 150,000 dead from COVID in the […]
In the UK, the NHS is widely regarded as a national treasure. It ensures that every member of the population, regardless of their level of wealth, has access to healthcare when they need it – and it is free at the point of use. In many countries, healthcare bills can be a serious concern. In […]
in May, 2020, the UK Prime Minister promised to create a world-beating test and trace system. Many people have criticised the results of his initiative. This article explores whether such criticism is justified, and, if so, what lessons we should draw from this episode. Our conclusion is that the UK’s test and trace system, the […]
According to the government, there have now been 126,000 deaths from Covid in the UK. But according to the Office for National Statistics, the true total is now over 150,000. It is extraordinary that such a death toll should receive so little coverage in the media. And perhaps even more extraordinary that there is so […]
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