Drawing a line on Britain's extreme wealth problemFifty families in Britain hold as much wealth as 34 million people. This Autumn Conference, join us for A Just Society's first fringe event, held jointly with Patriotic Millionaires UK. We'll be asking what that concentration of wealth does to our politics, our media and our society, and where the line should be drawn. It follows Sunday's debate on Defending Democracy. That motion names billionaires who use money and media to influence British politics as a threat to our democracy, and proposes caps on donations and spending. Our fringe picks up where the motion stops. Capping donations closes one route ... (more) |
Bobby Dean writes: The Resilient State: Rethinking fiscal rules for the 21st CenturyThe Chancellor faces a difficult Budget. There is little room to manoeuvre on tax or borrowing. Households and businesses are under enormous pressure. Long-term government borrowing costs have reached their highest level for decades. Yet Britain desperately needs investment. In an attempt to reassure the markets, John Healey has earnestly pledged his allegiance to the fiscal rules. It's a 30-year tradition. But, since 2008, Chancellors have increasingly struggled with the choices the rules produce. We have seen the consequences. Covid exposed an NHS with too little spare capacity. The energy crisis exposed our dependence on volatile oil markets. The hottest ... (more) |
Reform donations row shows how facts get trampled at Westminster"Comment is free, but facts are sacred" wrote The Guardian's editor CP Scott in 1921. A century and a bit later, the story of Reform UK's £72 million of donations shows how Westminster has become a battleground of comment where facts get trampled underfoot. What are the facts? On 25 March, Steve Reed, then Secretary of State for Housing, Communities & Local Government, announced that there would be "an annual £100,000 cap on total political donations" made by any overseas elector. He said the government would apply the restrictions retrospectively to donations received from that date. The changes would be ... (more) |
The Joy of Six 1577Sam Bright says the government's indecision on how to meet the threat of Nigel Farage has cost us all: "Labour has been dismally slow at protecting politics from these predators - rebuffing calls in recent weeks for a cap on all donations, even from domestic sources. And now Reform's war chest is bursting at the seams." "In 2024 then mayor of Manchester Andy Burnham argued that net zero was 'the best chance we will ever have to reindustrialise the North of England, reduce inequality and close the North-South divide'." The mayor has had a promotion since then but what of ... (more) |
The Independent View: Turning back the tide on free speechEagle-eyed Conference goers this year may spot enlarged Brighton beaches, thanks to a scheme extending them to combat coastal erosion. Dumping tonnes of rocks is hard work, but the simplicity has a certain beauty. Sadly, the tide is not so easily turned on free speech. We have all seen it. Octogenarians arrested for holding bits of paper, terrifying examples of trials for tweets, and the unedifying spectacle of 'free speech absolutists' banning journalists they do not like from events. Big Brother Watch has just published a major review: Britain's Free Speech Problem – How growing restrictions are stifling speech online ... (more) |
How to fix the problem of money in our politicsThe latest edition of my email newsletter about work in Parliament, A Lord's Eye View, is out and you can also read it in full below. But if you'd like to get future editions emailed direct to you as soon as they are published, sign up now: Welcome to my latest update on work in the House of Lords. This time I am taking a look at how our political system is regulated, and the protections we need to keep democracy safe from becoming simply a contest to see who has the biggest bank account. Campaigning is all year round, ... (more) |
Is Reform UK self-destructing in Wales?It has been long predicted, especially after the spectacular disintegration of the Welsh Assembly UKIP group between 2016 and 2021, but I don't think anybody expected it to happen so quickly. The first defection is so improbable that I had to check twice to make sure that I was reading it correctly. But it is true, Reform UK MS Sarah Cooper-Lesadd, an ex-Tory who represents the Pen-y-bont Bro Morgannwg constituency (Bridgend and the Vale of Glamorgan) in the Senedd, has defected to Plaid Cymru. And just when you thought it couldn't get any worse for Farage's party, the leader of ... (more) |
The man in a coracle who retrieved the ball from the Severn for Shrewsbury TownShrewsbury Town's old ground at Gay Meadow stood beside the Severn, so loose shots could end up in the river. This Nationwide report from 1975 is about the man who retrieved the ball when they did. (more) |
Lib Dem replaces Labour as leader of Luton CouncilThe BBC reports news of another council getting a Liberal Democrat leader, Cllr Amjid Ali: The Labour leader of Luton Borough Council has lost a no-confidence vote after being in the role less than four months. Tahmina Saleem was appointed in May to replace long-serving Hazel Simmons, but has faced a leadership challenge which puts Liberal Democrat Amjid Ali in charge of a coalition-led authority. Luton Liberal Democrats add: Congratulations to Cllr Amjid Ali on becoming the new Leader of Luton Borough Council. A significant moment for Luton, with its first Kashmiri Leader who is proudly Luton-raised. [IMG: Amjid Ali ... (more) |
Work, play and creativity: Another column for the JCPCPThis is another of the quarterly 'Sighcology' columns I contribute to the Journal of Critical Psychology, Counselling and Psychotherapy. Work, play and creativity An overexcited website selling business courses tells us: It's easy to play it safe. To follow the rules and optimise what already exists. In a world of constant change, sensible can feel smart. Until it stops working. You see, logic will get you to the starting line - but only creativity will win you the race. That's why we believe creativity is the most valuable capability for growth. And it's something that you can learn, practise and ... (more) |