Category: Politics

On “post-truth” politics

Over the last few days speeches by leading US Republicans have been scrutinized by the world’s media. Paul Ryan’s contribution has come in for widespread criticism for its lack of veracity. The Guardian published a piece subtitled A round-up of his most audacious untruths. Even Runner’s World has […]

Tory Green Belt Housebuilding Conniptions

We’re all pretty much agreed that it would be good if housing supply were a bit perkier. That is, perhaps, an understatement. The housing world is broadly united in the view that residential construction is currently in a parlous state, the housing supply deficit is chronic, and it […]

Expensive homes for wealthy people

What’s new in the housing world this week? What have we learnt? The primary lesson so far would seem to be that rich people really don’t like living next to poor people. They’d rather the poor, and even the middling sorts, made themselves scarce and freed up the […]

Propping up Decent Work?

We live under a government which has set about stigmatising benefit recipients and prescribing mandatory work for many of those who wish to continue to receive assistance. It is seeking to introduce an Universal Credit system to integrate systems of assistance in a bid to “make work pay”. […]

Challenging Corporate Coffee

Thursday’s G2 magazine featured an article about the imminent arrival of Costa coffee in Totnes in Devon. John Harris recounts the opposition to the move among local independent coffee retailers and local residents. Totnes has a distinctive culture: people fear that Costa will undermine it. This act of […]

Paying for plastic

Calls for a plastic bag tax for England have reappeared in the news. The latest statistics show a sharp increase in plastic bag usage over the last year in England, but a drop in usage in Wales where a tax was introduced in October last year. So calls […]

Beyond banker bashing?

Over the last few days we’ve been presented with rather different perspectives on future directions for financial regulation and the City of London. The forces of conservatism are seeking to reassert themselves, arguing for a limited regulatory response to the manifest and manifold problems already exposed. In Two […]