Trussed-up
The UK faces multiple interconnected crises. In the medium term, we are suffering from mass impoverishment, failing public services and a climate emergency. In the short term, very acutely, […]
Have We Finally Had Enough?
Many people in the UK are extremely concerned about the future. Most are poorer today than they were in 2010, and this year is forecast to see the sharpest drop […]
An Unwelcome Certainty in an Uncertain World
As Niels Bohr remarked, “Prediction is very difficult, especially about the future.” And that general remark is particularly true about politics where decisions are taken on the basis of complex […]
The Future of Herefordshire
This is an approximate transcript of the speech given by Mark E Thomas at Hellens Garden Festival, 11 June, 2022. Introduction Good afternoon. What a wonderful environment, and […]
What Does the Queen’s Speech Tell Us?
In the space of a few short years, the government will have turned the UK from a prosperous, democratic country with a functioning social safety net into a poor, isolated […]
Why Sunak Fails
Every spring, the Chancellor produces a mini-budget, the Spring Statement. This one faces a few challenges: for the last 12 years, most people in the UK have been getting poorer […]
A Tired, Defeatist Budget
Yesterday, the Chancellor claimed that his budget represented: “Investment in a more innovative, high-skilled economy. Because that is the only sustainable path to individual prosperity. World class public services.” But […]
Time to Change Track
The UK is a rich country with a proud democratic tradition. We have produced some of the world’s greatest scientists and a number of world-leading companies. We are strong in […]
The View from Outer Space
We have all had the experience of being so deeply immersed in something that we could not see the wood for the trees. And there is nothing we […]
Staying in the Zone
There is a wide range of attitudes to climate change exemplified on one side by President Trump, who apparently believes that it is no more than a Chinese hoax, and […]