What is Left?
31 Aug 2010
One of the harsher lessons for oppositions to learn is that in contrast to government, what you do and what you say very seldom matters. So it has been for … » more
Aug 2010: What is Left?
So what's the next big idea that would recapture Middle England from the Tories?
31 Aug 2010
The Labour Party’s defeat at the May 2010 general election, after thirteen years and three consecutive terms in office, has triggered a vigorous debate within and beyond the party about the reasons for its defeat and the legacy of New Labour.
Constitution and government
Yes, you can cut back and reform but it's a tough call
31 Aug 2010
How can you not reform public services if you make sufficiently severe cuts in public spending? Cut spending by five per cent or so and, despite squeals of pain, many … » more
False economy
31 Aug 2010
The Coalition government has announced a major rethinking of the role of the state, spurred on by its decision to make a more rapid reduction in the budget deficit its … » more
Afghanistan
Peace needs to get serious about justice
31 Aug 2010
The common wisdom held today among foreign experts working on the justice sector in Afghanistan is that there has never been a functioning formal justice system in the country. In … » more
Defence
Fund MoD on today's threats, not the ghosts of yesterday
31 Aug 2010
When Tony Blair announced in 2006 the then government’s decision to replace the existing fleet of four Trident nuclear submarines there were few who challenged this £15-20bn commitment either within … » more
Trident Revisited
31 Aug 2010
In December 2006 the previous government published a white paper: The Future of the United the Kingdom’s Nuclear Deterrent. In the forward the then prime minister Tony Blair stated that: … » more
Watering down the deterrent will leave us all at sea
05 Sep 2010
Despite the positions of the Labour government (in publishing a white paper on the UK’s deterrent in December 2006, a white paper endorsed both by a Parliamentary vote and the … » more
The NHS
A Coalition with no idea of the problem, and no idea of the solution
31 Aug 2010
Health-care delivery in public and private health-care systems is demonstrably inefficient. Inefficiency manifests itself in the failure to deliver cost-effective care to patients who would benefit, poor control of patient … » more
Foreign affairs
Help Pakistan, strengthen Britain
31 Aug 2010
Pakistan is facing the greatest natural disaster in its history. Britain should be leading the aid and recovery efforts for three reasons. First of all Britain’s immediate geostrategic need is … » more
How did we allow history to repeat itself in Niger?
31 Aug 2010
It's hard to believe but things have got worse in Niger. Last month on these pages my colleague warned that unless the world put its hand in its pocket and … » more
Corporate Britain has a blind spot about India — and it needs to wise up fast
31 Aug 2010
David Cameron spoke of ‘enhancing’ Britain’s relationship with India during his recent visit to that country. He could have used the word ‘resurrecting’ in reference to Indo-UK relations.
How British business can make India a jewel in the crown
31 Aug 2010
India has changed, and continues to change rapidly. The world is starting to recognise that India’s economic and political influence in the world is growing. At Davos in 2006, India … » more
So how fares Britain when you look at the world at large?
31 Aug 2010
Government fiscal positions in all the advanced economies suffered severe deteriorations during the financial crisis. Between 2007 and 2009 (on a calendar year basis) the UK’s general government budget balance … » more
Energy and climate
Really, Mr Huhne, you should brush up on your French
31 Aug 2010
Since the birth of the new Conservative/Lib Dem coalition, environmentalists and nuclear advocates have weighed every word on nuclear power uttered by Chris Huhne, the Lib Dem heading the Department … » more
Lessons from Labour
31 Aug 2010
It is difficult to give a clear overview of New Labour energy policies — there were many of them and they never reached a conclusion. Partly as a result, the … » more
Delivering the Coalition's green ambitions
31 Aug 2010
Energy companies expecting to be profitable in the coming decade and beyond have to live up to the fact that our market is changing, and changing dramatically. Those companies that … » more
Manufacturing
Flying on empty
31 Aug 2010
Rebalancing our economy is the current economic mantra of the coalition government. Private investment must replace public spending and manufacturing replace the service industries. Measures necessary to tackle the levels … » more
Poverty
Going for broke
31 Aug 2010
National debt has been in the headlines for the last few months but levels of personal debt are far higher and only look set to get worse. In January 2010, … » more
The silent misery of Britain's indebted poor
31 Aug 2010
Suzie rang me whilst bailiffs were at her door. Her cupboards were empty of food and she was about to lose the very little she and her daughter had. It … » more
Welfare reform: what happens next?
02 Sep 2010
The government's approach to reducing welfare dependency, by improving the incentive to work, is the right thing to do. Work is the most sustainable way to reduce welfare dependency, if … » more
Business and finance
Lobbying parliament without the press calling foul
31 Aug 2010
The government risks the introduction of a statutory register for lobbyists backfiring rapidly if they do not go a step further and require that those included in the register should … » more
More editions
Browse our print archive
August 2010 edition
Reflecting on New Labour's legacy; plus health: a false start on commissioning; nuclear deterrent: the case against and (online only) the countargument for Trident; personal debt: the silent misery of Britain's indebted poor