Golden Delusions
So many commentators talk about the UK’s public debt as if we were still operating a gold standard economy (and claim that debt is at unprecedented and dangerous levels) that […]
Analysing the 2024 Spring Budget
The Chancellor is due to announce his Spring Statement on March 6. Here is an open letter to the Editors of our major newspapers and broadcast media setting out a […]
The Rational Policy-maker’s Guide to the NHS at Holyrood
This is an approximate transcript of the presentation given by Mark E Thomas at the Scottish Parliament in Holyrood on 7 February 2024 at an event for MSPs and other […]
What Matters in 2024?
The UK faces huge challenges on many fronts. For 2024, we are prioritising three in particular: Voters’ #1 concern – reversing the process of mass impoverishment, which has worsened in […]
Stopping the Slide
In many elections, the key issues are living standards and the state of the economy. In the UK today, voters are (rightly) concerned that their living standards are lower […]
Two Perspectives on 2023
2023 was a tough year for the people of the UK. The combined effects of Austerity, Brexit and a severe mis-handling of the COVID crisis have left the country in […]
A Budget for the Wealthiest
All Budgets are important, but this one is especially critical: 13 years of market fundamentalist policy choices have left the UK in a state of decay, with a weak economy, […]
Should Cameron be Foreign Secretary?
Last week, Sunak faced a difficult conundrum. His hand had been forced by the ever-more-extreme Suella Braverman and, faced with internal and external pressure, he felt that he had no […]
Who is Behind the ‘Think Tanks’?
A recently published report from the ‘think tank’ Policy Exchange sets out what they would like to see in the King’s Speech. We have rarely seen such superficial and […]
How to Analyse the Budget
The Chancellor is due to announce his Autumn Statement on November 22. Truss will apparently also announce her own so-called ‘Budget for Growth’. This is an open letter to the […]