Austerity redux? Spring Statement lookahead
It’s crunch time for chancellor Rachel Reeves next Wednesday, when she will present her Spring Statement to parliament. Downgraded growth forecasts and deep spending cuts to unprotected departments lo...
21 Mar 202544min
Starmer’s ‘Project Chainsaw’: the NHS, Whitehall, welfare
“The world’s largest quango is scrapped” – that’s how the government framed the abolition of the NHS management body this week. It was the latest target in Sir Keir Starmer’s so-called ‘Project Chains...
14 Mar 202547min
Will Starmer sink or swim in Trump’s world?
Sir Keir Starmer has won plaudits from across the political spectrum for his handling of the rapidly growing rift between the US, Europe and Ukraine – but can the UK prime minister sustain this diplom...
7 Mar 202534min
The Starmer-Trump love-in
Donald Trump showered praise on Keir Starmer during the UK prime minister’s visit to the White House this week, describing him as ‘special’, a ‘beautiful man’ and a ‘tough negotiator’. Host Lucy Fishe...
28 Feb 202540min
‘America is now an adversary’
The future of Ukraine and the defence of Europe will dominate when Keir Starmer jets out to the White House for talks with Donald Trump next week. Can the UK prime minister help save 80 years of Pax A...
21 Feb 202543min
The right to die: who should have the final say?
The bitter and emotional wrangling over the assisted dying bill reached new heights in parliament this week, following proposed changes to a key safeguard. Is it a sensible efficiency to remove the ne...
14 Feb 202536min
Trump and Reform: Is US-style populism set to sweep the UK?
Donald Trump has stunned the world with a raft of extraordinary interventions this week, prompting Keir Starmer to keep his head down. But what happens when it’s Britain’s turn in the new US administr...
7 Feb 202543min
Growth – and damn the consequences?
Chancellor Rachel Reeves has sought to place rocket-boosters under the UK economy this week – with a vow to prioritise growth over the environment or nimbyism. But how long will her plan take to work,...
31 Jan 202539min
