What's caught my eye this week including Labour's joyless honeymoon, shrinking British kids, the Fed's momentous decision, Berlin's banking blunder, and the battle for the Global South
You have to question the judgment of a cost-cutting prime minister spending £2,485 on spectacles, no matter who pays for them. I agree that the government's grip is a problem. But it's not too loose, it's too tight. In the election, candidates and volunteers were micromanaged by algos, and by apparatchiks showing as much emotional intelligence as an algo. Voting against the government is an important option for backbenchers in a democracy, but Labour MPs have had the whip withdrawn for doing it once. Sue Gray micromanaged every Spad appointment. Starmer is an insecure bully. He's creating a government of control freaks with zero risk tolerance. No wonder morale is low and people are taking out their frustrations by leaking stories.
As a recent subscriber I'd like to say that I'm really enjoying your work :)
I'm sure you've come across the article here https://ukfoundations.co/. Not one single mention of the need to invest in health to improve productivity.
Thanks Peter - and thanks for sharing the report. I may write something about it in the coming days. As you say, there are some big omissions in the analysis...
Simon, another excellent post with much to digest. It brings up some striking similarities between the UK and the US. In reference to the tittle-tattle surrounding Labor in the UK you note, "these rows are also filling a vacuum in the media where debate about policy should be." The same can be said of the US as we approach the November elections. Then you highlight the decline in the height of British children, and the chart shows a similar decline for American children. There are often interesting correlations in trends across the main English-speaking countries, and these two are particularly depressing.
Thank you Marco, the same point occurred to me when I was writing the post. I don't see much clarity emerging on policy after the US election, regardless of who wins...
You have to question the judgment of a cost-cutting prime minister spending £2,485 on spectacles, no matter who pays for them. I agree that the government's grip is a problem. But it's not too loose, it's too tight. In the election, candidates and volunteers were micromanaged by algos, and by apparatchiks showing as much emotional intelligence as an algo. Voting against the government is an important option for backbenchers in a democracy, but Labour MPs have had the whip withdrawn for doing it once. Sue Gray micromanaged every Spad appointment. Starmer is an insecure bully. He's creating a government of control freaks with zero risk tolerance. No wonder morale is low and people are taking out their frustrations by leaking stories.
As a recent subscriber I'd like to say that I'm really enjoying your work :)
I'm sure you've come across the article here https://ukfoundations.co/. Not one single mention of the need to invest in health to improve productivity.
Thanks Peter - and thanks for sharing the report. I may write something about it in the coming days. As you say, there are some big omissions in the analysis...
Simon, another excellent post with much to digest. It brings up some striking similarities between the UK and the US. In reference to the tittle-tattle surrounding Labor in the UK you note, "these rows are also filling a vacuum in the media where debate about policy should be." The same can be said of the US as we approach the November elections. Then you highlight the decline in the height of British children, and the chart shows a similar decline for American children. There are often interesting correlations in trends across the main English-speaking countries, and these two are particularly depressing.
Thank you Marco, the same point occurred to me when I was writing the post. I don't see much clarity emerging on policy after the US election, regardless of who wins...