News & Insight

7 February 2013

The end of politics is the attention-grabbing title of Douglas Carswell's book. But the book ends without offering a genuine consideration of what politics is really for – just that it is broken. The book argues that government has got much...

7 February 2013

Since the downturn, Britain’s welfare system has come under sustained pressure, not just from shrinking budgets but also a backlash in public opinion. 62 per cent of us now agree that benefits are too high and discourage work – up...

5 February 2013

While Westminster feasts on the fresh meat of a new by-election, Jonathan Freedland raises a good point: is the collective reputation of politics collateral damage in the Chris Huhne affair? “Huhne's admission damages all politicians. The cynics have long charged that...

5 February 2013

Despite the second highest spend on childcare in OECD countries, families across the United Kingdom cannot afford good quality childcare. One nation Labour must address this. The case for universal childcare should not only be based on economic arguments, but...

4 February 2013

The Tories begin the Eastleigh by-election campaign in second place but just about favourites. The latest YouGov voter retention figures point to an easy gain for the Tories and a healthy majority of around 5,000. The Lib-Dems look in disarray,...

3 February 2013

It’s now well known that the single greatest explanation for Labour’s steady lead in the opinion polls is the defection of former Liberal Democrat voters to the party’s ranks. If Labour can sustain a decent proportion of this new Lib...