Political Insider
Our Washington, Westminster and Whitehall insiders share the political inside track with Chronicle readers
Latest Article
23rd October 2023
Israel has a cutting-edge security technology industry and was (and still should be) considered to be the leading nation for national security.
The controversial electronic intelligence platform Pegasus was developed in Israel, and the border between Israel and Gaza was considered – before the October 7 attack – to be a leading example of using sensors and machine learning to reduce the need for human guards while not reducing the strength of the... Read More >
Recent Articles:
9th October 2023
China’s capacity to surprise western politicians was demonstrated recently, when Chinese leader Xi Jinping was unexpectedly absent from the G20 summit. There were a few reasons why this G20 might have been less important for Xi, including Read More >
23rd September 2023
“Class is the basis of British politics; all else is embellishment and detail.” So wrote Peter Pulzer, the former Gladstone professor of politics at the University of Oxford in the 1960s. Nowadays, however, it is age, not social class, that Read More >
23rd September 2023
Gavin Williamson once said that Russia should ‘shut up’ and ‘go away’. I must confess to feeling a similar sentiment whenever Liz Truss tries to re-enter public life.
Yesterday, our former Prime Minister and future pub Read More >
29th June 2023
In June, a spokesperson for the Department of Defense announced that the value of equipment transferred to Ukraine, originally valued at $6 billion, was “corrected” to $3 billion. The prior month, the Pentagon had made a similar Read More >
12th June 2023
As the GOP’s presidential hopefuls formulate their national economic agendas, one question looms large: What are they going to do about the Federal Reserve?
America’s central bank has gone off the rails. Its monetary mischief in the Read More >
5th June 2023
Labour has emerged from this summer’s local elections with what appears to be a commanding lead, but this is the time in the electoral cycle when voters go to the polls in local elections to send a message to the government. Next year’s Read More >
31st May 2023
Motorists might be feeling under attack at the moment. They are blamed for climate change (CO2 emissions), air pollution (NO2 emissions), road deaths, and congestion.
Many on the radical left take the view that reducing traffic is a good in Read More >
26th April 2023
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Republican from Georgia, wants a “national divorce.” In her view, another Civil War is inevitable unless red and blue states form separate countries.
She has plenty of company on the right, Read More >
26th April 2023
Originally published September 2020.
Do Americans “vote with their wallets?” This near-ubiquitous cliche seems at first to pass the test of common sense. Why wouldn’t people vote for the candidates under whom they’ll do the best Read More >
26th April 2023
Joe Strummer, lead singer and lyricist for the seminal punk band, The Clash, died 20 years ago this December. Strummer, the son of a British senior civil servant and whose real name was John Graham Mellor, wrote songs that did not shy away Read More >
26th April 2023
Originally published May 2021.
Local property prices were always a good indicator of UK voting habits – but in the past five years, that’s stopped being true.
The last few years have been volatile for UK politics. There have been Read More >
24th January 2023
What now in the house?
The lengthy speakership battle in the House of Representatives this month ended with both sides able to declare victory. This is the best outcome for the Republicans, who probably couldn’t have afforded either Read More >
7th December 2022
Ukraine’s successful counteroffensive in the Kharkiv and Kherson regions means that a large chunk of the country’s Russian-speaking southeast is returning to the Ukrainian political arena. As the heartland of pro-Russian political parties, Read More >
5th December 2022
One of the best written and most thought-provoking political books in recent decades was Jonathan Freedland’s Bring Home the Revolution. Essentially a paean of praise to American democracy, it skewered the knee-jerk anti-Americanism of so Read More >
24th October 2022
When the US goes to the polls on 8 November, it won’t just be a test for those politicians seeking re-election, but also of President Joe Biden’s popularity.
The midterms take place every two years in the middle of a four-year Read More >
29th September 2022
Truss can afford to be unpopular – for now.
'Consensus' was a swear word for Margaret Thatcher. She once declared:
“To me consensus seems to be the process of abandoning all beliefs, principles, values and policies in search of Read More >
3rd August 2022
The cost of living crisis is a key issue for the Conservative leadership candidates hoping to become the next prime minister of the UK. But the taxation strategies suggested by the final two Conservative party leadership hopefuls, Rishi Read More >
19th July 2022
The chaos in Sri Lanka has deepened after the country’s president, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, fled to the Maldives. The president and his family left Colombo on a military jet just hours before he was due to resign in the face of massive popular Read More >
13th July 2022
On February 24, the first day of the invasion of Ukraine, Russian troops occupied Snake Island, a small but strategically important outpost in the Black Sea about 70 nautical miles south of Odessa. The 13 Ukrainian troops stationed there Read More >
21st June 2022
Most people refuse to compromise on territory, but willingness to make peace depends on their war experiences.
The war in Ukraine shows no signs of ending soon. Ukraine is suffering between 600 and 1,000 casualties a day. A fifth of Read More >
16th June 2022
Western sanctions are partly to blame.
In the days after Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022 and the west imposed sanctions, the rouble collapsed. The number of roubles to one US dollar quickly fell from about 78 to 138 – a huge move Read More >
26th May 2022
As coronavirus restrictions ease, will the economic life of consumers snap back to normal? Electoral Calculus and pollster Find Out Now conducted an exclusive poll for The Property Chronicle to find out.
Our findings show that consumers Read More >
25th May 2022
By experts who have monitored it since the Wuhan outbreak.
More than two years after a deadly strain of coronavirus was first identified in the central city of Wuhan, China remains locked in a Covid crisis. Around 400 million people are Read More >
12th May 2022
President Putin and his security institutions are no longer a united front.
Russia’s army is deeply unhappy at the new and curtailed strategy Putin has ordered them to adopt in Ukraine, abandoning the big goal of capturing Kyiv for a Read More >
11th April 2022
There is no such thing as an Independent Central Bank. They are all the creatures of the states that own them. To those who thought otherwise the virus is changing the reality and rhetoric. Central Banks and treasuries are working together to Read More >
17th January 2022
In a year-end review of polling and politics, one of America’s leading national pollsters, Scott Rasmussen, says most Americans have higher priorities than politics. And he says partisan thinking about race, particularly among Democrats, Read More >
7th December 2021
Olaf Scholz is soon to be sworn in as the new chancellor of Germany after nearly two months of intense negotiations between the Social Democrats (SPD), Greens, and liberal Free Democrats (FDP).
It is a complex coalition as the Read More >
4th November 2021
Originally published September 2021.
Virtually no one in Washington even pretends to be concerned about federal spending and deficits anymore. The Biden administration is going wild as the US nears the debt-to-GDP record set after World War Read More >
1st November 2021
Originally published August 2020.
This is the fifth in a group of articles looking at the possible impact of a post-Brexit redistribution of fishing opportunities in the NE Atlantic – and looks at Germany. It considers the same questions Read More >
31st August 2020
https://www.ukpublicspending.co.uk/uk_national_deficit_analysis
He may be one of only a handful of senior-ranking Ministers in Downing Street to have avoided catching Covid-19 but the pandemic has left the Chancellor of the Exchequer with a Read More >
4th August 2020
THE CORRELATION between being overweight and being in ICU with Covid-19 is so well known outside of Downing Street, that there is already at least one published Covid Diet. Like all diets it suggests that you eat plenty of protein, Read More >
2nd July 2020
In the run-up to his big speech yesterday, all the talk was of the Prime Minister promising a ‘Rooseveltian’ New Deal for Britain. Fortunately, when it came to it, he wasn’t promising anything of the sort. Why fortunately? A tale of two Read More >
22nd June 2020
Assuming the U.S. elections still happen in November 2020– how might that affect the U.S. economy and investment returns going forward?
While no one can yet predict the outcome of the November election – it may be instructive Read More >
29th April 2020
WE ARE TOLD that China is a challenge for the West, that its emergence as an economic power is a “Sputnik” moment for American leadership and will affect UK post-Brexit economic prospects. It’s said this requires a major Read More >
26th March 2020
In terms of my political risk career, betting against Europe rising to superpower status—as many left-leaning commentators blithely predicated in the early 2000s—has, to put it mildly, not hurt me any.
This is not due to some hateful, Read More >
6th March 2020
By signing the EU withdrawal agreement, the UK has put itself in a weak negotiating position for the establishment of future trading arrangements with the EU. However, the UK can still largely prevail in these negotiations if it prepares well Read More >
20th February 2020
It may be early days in the Democratic primary race, but Bernie Sanders is now the favourite to win the party’s nomination and set up a Trump-Sanders presidential election.
As the prospect of Sanders winning becomes ever Read More >
8th January 2020
Since last month’s general election, there’s been much talk about different types of constituencies, how they voted, and what the geography of party support tells us about how the country voted.
But it also matters for how the next Read More >
19th December 2019
A political leader who has just secured a large majority has rarely regretted doing too much, too quickly. Boris Johnson’s extraordinary opportunity for radical reform of the structures of government and economy must not be wasted. The Read More >
4th December 2019
Labour’s plans to reduce rail fares by 33% takes from the poor to pay for the travel of the rich while inevitably providing less money for maintenance and upgrades.
As usual, with Labour’s giveaways of other people’s money, they are Read More >
24th October 2019
“Daddy, Daddy. Can we clean your car?”My then three and five-year-olds came bouncing up full of enthusiasm.
“How much?” I asked.
“£1”. Their opening offer.
50p. My counter offer.
“Deal”.
And Read More >
18th October 2019
It is not only Extinction Rebellion who say the UK should no longer try to get our growth rate up. The Green Party and many others are inclined to agree. But there are very strong reasons for believing that this is not the right approach – Read More >
17th October 2019
Do you know much about Dar es Salaam? Perhaps you might only be vaguely aware of this remote coastal city in Tanzania. But by the time your grandchildren are your age, more people will live there than in all of France.
Population Read More >
8th October 2019
Exploring the outcome probabilities of the UK’s split from the EU
Febrile. That’s the word most commonly deployed to describe the state of British politics since the EU referendum of 2016. I recall being on College Green – that patch of Read More >
30th September 2019
John McDonnell has promised that a Labour government would reduce the average full-time working week to 32 hours within a decade, with no loss of pay. This would allow many people to work four days a week, rather than five or more, and enjoy a Read More >
18th September 2019
Last Monday, the Government capitulated to the Opposition’s attempt to bind its hands on Brexit via Hilary Benn’s bill (now the European Union (Withdrawal) (No.2) Act 2019) mandating it to seek and agree an extension of Article 50.
Having Read More >
12th September 2019
By Richard Barkham, Global Chief Economist; Neil Blake, Global Head of Forecasting; Wei Luo, Associate Director, CBRE.
The UK’s long-term average share of global real estate investment is about 13%. Until early 2016, the level of UK Read More >
11th September 2019
The House of Commons has again opted against providing the two-thirds support needed to hold an early general election. However, it will be hard to avoid one for much longer. And although the outcome remains far from clear at this stage, it’s Read More >
3rd September 2019
John McDonnell’s latest bright idea is that private sector tenants should have the right to buy the homes for below the market price. As perfect an example of McDonnell’s incapacity to think through an economic problem would be difficult to Read More >
3rd September 2019
What do low-income voters in deprived areas want post-Brexit? How can political parties unlock opportunities for people on low incomes?
Three years after the EU Referendum in 2016, our political system is experiencing a crisis of Read More >
21st August 2019
Successful political parties are coalitions of interests. The Labour Party was founded as the Labour Representation Committee in 1900 to bring the socialist movement together under one banner to fight parliamentary Read More >
20th August 2019
Newspaper headlines over the weekend had suggested that the new Chancellor, Sajid Javid, was planning to switch the liability for stamp duty from house buyers to sellers. Thankfully, Javid has now quashed this story in no Read More >
15th August 2019
They are proud of Edmund Burke in Bristol. His statue stands on Colston Avenue, fist aloft, the inscription declaring “I wish to be a Member of Parliament to have my share of doing good and resisting evil”.
Burke is celebrated to this day Read More >
7th August 2019
Just days in to the Johnson Premiership and there should be little doubt where we are heading. Dominic Cummings may revel in his contempt for Westminster Village groupthink, but this time the Prime Minister’s special adviser might have to Read More >
26th July 2019
As she exits the political stage pursued by a blond bear, Theresa May’s mind will inevitably turn to the question of ‘what next’?
As for the immediate future, she might follow John Major’s example. Hours after losing the top job in Read More >
26th July 2019
No one wants the internet to be a source of harm. Our industry has always carried with it the optimism with which the internet was born. The ability of a single individual to speak to the whole world, to be connected with the all the learning Read More >
24th July 2019
Boris Johnson will survive the first hundred days of his Premiership if he delivers a Brexit divorce deal. There will soon follow opportunities for other events - a Budget, a Queen’s Speech, a General Election – to set out detailed plans Read More >
17th July 2019
In all of the sound and fury and sordid events that led to the resignation of the British ambassador to the US, Kim Darroch, there has been little attention paid to the question of what is the function of the UK ambassador in the US, or indeed, Read More >
16th July 2019
Unless there’s an extraordinary upset in the Tory leadership election, Boris Johnson will become Prime Minister next week. What kind of government are we going to get?
Could this be the start of something extraordinarily significant, Read More >
12th July 2019
Whichever candidate takes the keys to Number 10 later this month, the change of Conservative leader and Prime Minister looks set to mark the end of the net migration target.
As politics move on, those looking to advocate for a fresh approach Read More >
5th July 2019
How Brexit and the minority government pose a problem for international investors
Three factors continue to cause political instability in the UK.
The first and most important is that Britain is being run by a minority Read More >
4th July 2019
To be sure, UK politics are in flux. A vocal huddle of mostly Remain protesters, and occasionally Leavers, have occupied a spot opposite the Houses of Parliament for the past two years. Voters have voiced at the ballot box their anger at the Read More >
3rd July 2019
Unless Britain joined the European Exchange Rate Mechanism, they once said, it would face economic instability.
So we duly joined the ERM. But instead of stability, pegging our currency to those of our neighbours meant we endured an economic Read More >
3rd July 2019
As the current political impasse continues, the situation bears a resemblance to the events of 1931. As King George V once did, will the Queen advise?
On 24 August 1931, King George V called for a meeting at Buckingham Palace. There attended Read More >
26th June 2019
It is no secret that the United Kingdom’s economy is imbalanced. London and the South East are head and shoulders above the country’s other regions with respect to economic indicators like gross value added per capita and median real Read More >
17th June 2019
As I hurtled towards the big EU machine on the Eurostar from London St Pancras, I had initially intended this post-induction piece to be a light-hearted reflection on my first experiences in Brussels. The beer was good/ the bureaucracy was bad Read More >
13th June 2019
The search for ECB President Mario Draghi’s successor has revealed deep-seated divisions in the Eurozone over the fundamental responsibilities of the bank.
Draghi’s presidency was marked by a willingness to be a lender of last resort to Read More >
7th June 2019
President Trump’s visit has been the excuse for another burst of scaremongering about what a US-UK trade deal might mean for the NHS. You might expect dire warnings about ‘profits before people’ or ‘the Americanisation of healthcare’ Read More >
4th June 2019
Thoughts for the month ahead: Yipes! President Trump shocked the markets on May 10th by doubling down on tariffs against all Chinese imports. Last Friday, he again shocked everyone by threatening 5% tariffs, starting June 10th, Read More >
31st May 2019
No you have not missed a footie championship. The heading refers to the EU Parliamentary Elections last week, in which I stood and following which have been returned to Brussels as an MEP, for the Brexit Party, representing London.
I Read More >
31st May 2019
Success in politics, as with so many things, is often about learning from past mistakes. What is surprising, perhaps, is how few in politics – full as they are of their own sense of certainty – are able to do this.
Following last week’s Read More >
15th May 2019
For a year or more after the 2017 election, your columnist’s most frequently asked question from politicians, journalists and many others, was why the polls have remained so stable, in spite of all the political turbulence. That has completely Read More >
1st May 2019
Thought for the month ahead: While many Americans focus on who the Democrats might nominate for president next year, President Trump and China's President Xi hope to conclude a trade deal. The markets are counting on it Read More >
26th April 2019
Labour’s latest housing wheeze is a plan to scrap a scheme that allows office and industrial buildings to be converted into homes without planning permission. This will apparently put an end to “slum housing and rabbit hutch flats” and Read More >
10th April 2019
As the Brexit crisis continues, many have expressed astonishment that the Labour Party has not (yet) been able to build up a substantial lead in voting intention polls. Their surprise is understandable – the government’s handling of Brexit Read More >
9th April 2019
They may have other differences, but all the major Democratic presidential candidates agree they want to repeal the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) of 2017. The GOP’s landmark tax reform made major changes to tax deductions, slashed the corporate Read More >
4th April 2019
President Trump's schedule (EDT):
11:30 AM: Attends the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council meeting;
12:15 PM: Daily intelligence briefing; and
4:30 PM: Meets with Chinese Vice Premier Liu Read More >
2nd April 2019
President Trump's schedule (EDT):
1:45 PM: Meets with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg; and
7:00 PM: Attends the National Republican Congressional Committee Annual Spring Dinner at the National Building Read More >
1st April 2019
"China Announces Trade Concessions as Liu He Heads to U.S." This morning's Bloomberg article leads with:
The Chinese government said it will extend a suspension of retaliatory tariffs on U.S. autos and include the opioid fentanyl in a Read More >
1st April 2019
It’s seen as a given that Brexit is hurting business and will continue to hurt business, whether or not we crash out of the EU without a deal.
We hear daily of companies moving their headquarters overseas or taking other forms of action in Read More >
29th March 2019
President Trump's schedule (EDT):
1:00 PM: Visits Lake Okeechobee and Herbert Hoover Dike, Canal Point, FL.
2:35 PM: Arrives back at Mar-a-Lago.
"Kudlow Says U.S. Ready to Extend China Talks by Weeks or Months." Read More >
28th March 2019
“I am an innocent man,’ Billy Joel bellowed on his song of that name. “Oh yes, I am.”
“Love your music!” Donald Trump tweeted in 2016 after the Bronx piano-tickler had dedicated performances of his 1974 tune ‘The Entertainer’ Read More >
28th March 2019
President Trump's schedule (EDT):
11:45 AM: Daily intelligence briefing;
2:45 PM: Meets with Secretary of State Pompeo;
4:00 PM: Departs the White House en route Joint Base Andrews;
5:55 PM: Read More >
26th March 2019
President Trump's schedule (EDT):
11:45 AM: Daily intelligence briefing;
1:00 PM: Attends the Senate Republican Policy Luncheon; and
3:15 PM: Meets with House Republicans on how to pass the U.S. Read More >
25th March 2019
Washington Calendar, March 25 – March 29
President Trump's schedule (EDT):
11:45 AM: Holds a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Read More >
22nd March 2019
President Trump's schedule (EDT): 9:30 AM: Departs the White House, South Lawn;12:05 PM: Arrives at Atlantic Aviation, 3800 Southern Boulevard, West Palm Beach, FL; and 2:00 PM: Hosts a meeting with Caribbean leaders from The Bahamas, Read More >
21st March 2019
President Trump's schedule (EDT):
11:00 AM: Participates in a conversation at the Business Roundtable quarterly meeting; and
3:15 PM: Signs an executive order on improving free inquiry, transparency, and accountability Read More >
20th March 2019
2:30 PM EDT: Fed Chair Powell's news conference, live on C-SPAN.I will forward a transcript as soon as it becomes available.
This morning's Wall Street Journal preview leads with:
Federal Reserve officials are on track to Read More >
18th March 2019
FOMC two-day meeting with a 2:30 PM Wednesday press conference. I will send a transcript as soon as it becomes available.
"Fed Officials Wrestle With a ‘Dot Plot’ Dilemma. Officials are set to release rate projections on Wednesday, Read More >
18th March 2019
You could be forgiven for not having noticed, but last week the Chancellor delivered his Spring Statement.
This is essentially just a response to the biannual fiscal updates which the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) is mandated to Read More >
15th March 2019
President Trump's schedule (EDT):
11:00 AM: Meets with national security officials at the Pentagon; and
12:30 p.m.: Has lunch with Secretary of State Pompeo. White House
"'Carried Interest' Back in Play as Democrats Eye Tax Read More >
14th March 2019
President Trump's schedule (EDT):
10:50 AM: Meets with Irish Prime Minister Varadkar12:00 PM: Attends the Friends of Ireland Luncheon at The Capitol; and 6:00 PM: Participates in the Shamrock Bowl presentation by Irish Prime Minister Read More >
13th March 2019
President Trump's schedule (EDT):
11:30 AM: Daily intelligence briefing;
1:45 PM: Briefing on the "drug trafficking on the southern border;"
3:00 PM: Meets with Republican members of the Senate on trade; Read More >
11th March 2019
"Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell: The 60 Minutes interview." See yesterday's 13- minute CBS 60 Minutes video and transcript highlights here.
The "First Phase" of President Trump's FY20 Budget will be released at 11:30 AM Read More >
8th March 2019
Fed Chair Powell will speak at 10 PM EST tonight on "Monetary Policy Normalization and Review" at Stanford University, CA Watch it live here.
President and Mrs. Trump will depart the White House at 9:20 AM EST this morning for Fort Read More >
7th March 2019
President Trump's Schedule (EST):11:00 AM: Meets with Treasury Secretary Mnuchin;11:45 AM: Daily intelligence briefing;12:30 PM: Lunch with Secretary of State Pompeo; 1:55 PM: With Mrs. Trump, meets with Czech Prime Read More >
7th March 2019
Tariffs might be politically controversial. But their inadvisability is one of the few things that practically every economist can agree on.
Unfortunately, the exceptional economist who proves the rule is Peter Navarro, who happens to be one Read More >
5th March 2019
"Trump Plans to End Key Trade Preferences for India and Turkey." This morning's Bloomberg article leads with:
President Donald Trump has announced he plans to end key trade preferences for India and Turkey, in the latest move by the Read More >
4th March 2019
"U.S., China Close In on Trade Deal." Sunday afternoon's Wall Street Journal article led with:
China and the U.S. are in the final stage of completing a trade deal, with Beijing offering to lower tariffs and other restrictions on Read More >
1st March 2019
After a couple of years that have seen a seemingly endless string of new centrist parties, usually with more Twitter followers than voters, last week finally saw the formation of The Independent Group, which at the very least has MPs and, for Read More >
28th February 2019
Ultimately, this is a column about Labour, Brexit and the Independent Group. However, first I am afraid we do need to talk about Chris Williamson.
For just as the Westminster commentariat began to scratch their metaphorical beards and ponder Read More >
27th February 2019
Fed Chair Powell will testify at 10 AM EST before the House Financial Service Committee. Watch the hearing live here. I will forward a transcript as soon as it becomes available.
Debt Limit: CBO estimated Treasury will run out of cash Read More >
27th February 2019
New anti-market movements are emerging. In Britain and America, a revivalist Left is ascendant, winning not only seats in Parliament and Congress, but hearts and minds in classrooms, on campuses and online. The appeal of the likes of Jeremy Read More >
26th February 2019
Fed Chair Powell will testify at 10 AM EST before the Senate Banking Committee. His testimony will be posted here at 9:45 AM. Watch the hearing live here. I will forward a transcript as soon as it becomes available. More in Read More >
21st February 2019
President Trump's schedule (EST):
11:30 AM: Daily intelligence briefing;
12:15 PM: Lunch with Acting Interior Secretary Bernhardt; and
6:15 PM: Reception for National African American History Month.
China Read More >
21st February 2019
And then there were eleven. The “Independent Group” of MPs can, for the time being, field a cricket team. They now hold more seats in the House of Commons than the Democratic Unionist Party. They are not so much a third way as the fourth Read More >
20th February 2019
The Federal Government in D.C. is closed today because of an ice and snow storm.
"Federal Reserve Board offices in Washington, D.C. are closed due to inclement weather.
The FOMC minutes will be released as scheduled at 2:00 p.m. The daily Read More >
19th February 2019
FOMC Minutes -- 2 PM Wednesday
Fed Monetary Policy Report -- 11 AM Friday
2019 U.S. Monetary Policy Forum, New York, NY:
Fed Vice Chair Clarida, 12 PM Friday, "The Federal Reserve's Review of Monetary Policy Strategies, Tools, and Read More >
11th February 2019
"U.S. Futures Point to Opening Gain as Mnuchin Flies to China for Trade Talks." This morning's Wall Street Journal article leads with:U.S. stock futures edged higher Monday as U.S. officials arrived in Beijing to start another round of Read More >
8th February 2019
The latest from our Washington DC insider:
Humphrey-Hawkins hearings announced. Fed Chair Jerome Powell will deliver his semiannual monetary policy report to the Senate Banking Committee at 10 AM, Tuesday, February 26th and to Read More >
6th February 2019
The recent controversy about a group of white American teenage boys wearing MAGA hats who seemed to be taunting a Native American elder touched a nerve in American political life. The three minute clip, taken at the March for Life rally on Read More >
3rd February 2019
Dear Millennials,
I have read and watched with careful attention the complaints made by many of you, and others on your behalf, about the Brexit referendum. For two years and seven months, the internet has been awash with complaints that an Read More >
30th January 2019
While all eyes were on Davos this week, the German and French governments were having an altogether more significant pow-wow in the western German city of Aachen. It was in the same place, once Charlemagne’s capital city, that Emmanuel Macron Read More >
29th January 2019
"U.S. Imposes Sanctions on Venezuela’s Oil Industry." Last night's Wall Street Journal article led with:
The U.S. imposed sanctions (Treasury's press release) on Venezuela’s state-owned oil giant in a dramatic move designed to empower Read More >
29th January 2019
Donald Trump wants to install an immoveable object on the southern border, but has come up against the irresistible force of Senate procedure. Yesterday, the Senate rejected two proposals, one from each party, designed to end Washington’s Read More >
28th January 2019
CBO's Budget and Economic Outlook will be released at 10 AM Today Here. Congressional Budget Office Director Keith Hall will hold a press conference at 11 AM. Watch it live on C-SPAN. With a strong than expected second half of 2018, will Read More >
28th January 2019
For the second part of CapX’s latest series of polling on some of the biggest questions in the political and economic battle of ideas, we look at government spending. But this time with a twist.
Opinion polling, besides doing what it says on Read More >
25th January 2019
"China Sends Vice Ministers to Washington to Pave Way for U.S. Talks." This morning's Bloomberg report leads with:
A Chinese delegation including deputy ministers will arrive in Washington on Monday to prepare for high-level trade talks led Read More >
24th January 2019
President Trump's schedule (EST):
No public events are scheduled.
President Trump will delay his State of the Union speech until after the shutdown per this Tweet and that Tweet late last night.
Treasury Secretary Mnuchin will speak at 2 Read More >
24th January 2019
Power in local government is particularly important to a political party that is in opposition nationally. For a start there is the impact on morale of council election results. Politicians can dismiss (or pretend to dismiss) opinion polls. Real Read More >
23rd January 2019
“U.S. turns down China offer of preparatory trade talks.” Yesterday, the Financial Times reported:
The Trump administration rejected an offer by two Chinese vice-ministers to travel to the U.S. this week for preparatory trade talks Read More >
22nd January 2019
President Trump's schedule (EST):
12:00 PM: Daily intelligence briefing; and
12:30 PM: Lunch with Vice President Pence.
The Senate will return a 1 PM EST today to "resume consideration of the motion to proceed to S.1, Strengthening Read More >
19th January 2019
For months, ministers were resolute. Britain, they insisted, must remain aligned to the rest of Europe. It would spell ruin if we were to simply leave, they said. And they kept on saying that, until the day we actually left.
I refer Read More >
19th January 2019
For the cross-party talks on Brexit to succeed, the Labour party has to split. And anyone who watched Michael Gove’s brilliant winding-up speech on Wednesday night in the No Confidence debate will have been reminded that Labour is already Read More >
18th January 2019
"Trump team weighs surprise tariff cut in hopes of securing China trade deal." Last night's Washington Post article led with:
The Trump administration is considering eliminating tariffs on billions of dollars of Chinese imports to spur Read More >
17th January 2019
President Trump's schedule (EST):
11:00 AM: Participates in the Missile Defense Review Announcement at The Pentagon; and
1:45 PM: Daily intelligence briefing.
The House will pass another continuing resolution to reopen the Read More >
16th January 2019
President Trump's schedule (EST):
11:30 AM: Meets with the House Problem Solvers Caucus;
1:00 PM: Has lunch with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo; and
2:15 PM: Signs S.24, the "Government Employee Fair Treatment Act of Read More >
15th January 2019
"Shutdown Pinches Economic Growth." Last night's Wall Street Journal article led with:
A Vermont mead brewery has delayed a major expansion because the owners can’t get a business loan. A craft-burger joint in Utah has sent employees home Read More >
15th January 2019
Can you guess who said the following? “Republicans have considered it their duty to make the world safe for banking, while simultaneously prosecuting ever more foreign wars.”
If you thought of Senator Bernie Sanders or Representative Read More >
14th January 2019
"Shutdown Pinches Economic Growth." Last night's Wall Street Journal article led with:
A Vermont mead brewery has delayed a major expansion because the owners can’t get a business loan. A craft-burger joint in Utah has sent employees home Read More >
14th January 2019
Poor David Cornwell. He is the country’s most famous (real) spy, a veteran of MI5 and MI6, who as the Berlin Wall was being built, was busy tapping up Soviet diplomats in Bonn, and yet among the UK’s commentariat he has developed a latter-day Read More >
12th January 2019
I’m going to admit something. I think it is something to which plenty of other people — in fact, most people in Westminster — would admit to if were they being honest.
If in 81 days the United Kingdom leaves the European Union without a Read More >
11th January 2019
President Trump's schedule (EST):
2:30 PM: Hosts a roundtable discussion on border security and safe communities with state, local and community leaders at the White House.
The House will pass an Interior-Environment appropriation, Read More >
11th January 2019
A new year brings with it new topics. But it’s interesting to look back at 2018 and recall what we learnt from polling during what was, to put it mildly, an eventful year.
We didn’t learn much about changes in voting intention because Read More >
10th January 2019
12:45 PM Fed Chair Jerome Powell will address the Economic Club of Washington, D.C. Watch it live here.
7:00 PM Fed Vice Chair Richard Clarida will address the Money Marketeers of New York University on the "Economic Outlook and Monetary Read More >
10th January 2019
CQ NEWSMAKER TRANSCRIPTS
Federal Agency
Jan. 10, 2019 - Final
Federal Reserve Board Chairman Jerome Powell Delivers Remarks at Economic Club of Washington
LIST OF SPEAKERS
RUBENSTEIN:
So we're very honored at the Economic Club Read More >
10th January 2019
As a piece of television entertainment, Brexit: The Uncivil War was first class. I really enjoyed watching it last night, and – if I’m honest – felt rather flattered to see myself feature in a film (even if I would rather have been played Read More >
9th January 2019
President Trump's schedule (EST):
11:30 AM: Signs an anti-human trafficking bill, H.R.2200;
12:00 PM: Daily intelligence briefing;
1:00 PM: Attends the Senate Republican policy luncheon, S-207, The Capitol; and
3:00 PM: Meets Read More >
8th January 2019
"U.S.-China Talks Near Close With Positive Signs From Both Sides." This morning's Bloomberg article led with:
Chinese authorities planned to give a statement following the latest round of U.S. trade talks on Tuesday in Beijing, after both Read More >
8th January 2019
The capital had just welcomed in 2019 with a fireworks display that its Mayor, Sadiq Khan, couldn’t resist politicising. The London Eye was lit up in the colours of the EU flag to show his opposition to Brexit. Surely New Year’s Eve should Read More >
3rd January 2019
Britain has undergone a jobs revolution since 2010. On average, 1,000 jobs have been created every single day, and at the time of writing, only six have been taken by George Osborne. Despite this, Britain’s productivity growth has struggled to Read More >
31st December 2018
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, is reported to be considering bringing in rent controls.
It is not clear that he has power to do that, or how it would work. Rent control might improve the lot of suffering existing tenants, at least for a Read More >
23rd December 2018
This week, the government announced that they were suspending the Tier 1 Investor visa scheme over money-laundering concerns. Known informally as the “golden visa”, foreigners who invest £2 million in the UK gain the right to live and work Read More >
22nd December 2018
There is no reason to believe that protecting democracy against fake news wouldn’t be utilised as a pretext to enforce strict censorship and silence critics.
When the printing press was invented in the mid-1400s, Europe faced radical and Read More >
13th December 2018
It is the fate of successful party managers to be liked by no one, but to be indispensable to all. On the 28 November, Nancy Pelosi won the House Democrats’ nomination for the next Speaker of the House. Her majority, 203 votes to 32, shows how Read More >
11th December 2018
The historian Arnold Toynbee characterised civilisation as “a movement and not a condition, a voyage and not a harbour.” By necessity, civilisations are curious, forward- and outward-looking, and animated by the belief that their best days Read More >
9th December 2018
The Canadian psychologist Jordan Peterson received considerable attention when he visited Stockholm recently. He was told to “crawl back under a rock” by Sweden’s Foreign Minister and engaged in a heated discussion about the paradox of Read More >
4th December 2018
From education and immigration to taxation and even road safety, there seems to be no end to the examples we Swedes offer the rest of the world. But what is it that is so uniquely fascinating about my homeland – and how relevant is the way Read More >
24th November 2018
As things stand, Theresa May’s Brexit deal seems very unlikely to pass. Though there is some evidence that the public has become a bit more supportive since its strongly negative initial reaction, the Withdrawal Agreement does not currently Read More >
22nd November 2018
Donald Trump likes to shoot from the hip. It has helped him consolidate domestic support, bring North Korea’s Kim Jong Un to the negotiating table, and has led America’s main strategic rival – China – to reassess how it engages with Read More >
20th November 2018
The United States and the United Kingdom are, and long have been, two countries divided by sea but united politically, culturally, economically and militarily.
Recently we were in New York to ensure a prosperous future by strengthening what Read More >
17th November 2018
Why can’t you afford a home?
UCL researcher Josh Ryan-Collins says it is due to inevitable landowner profits from land, to a majority of homeowners blocking fair taxation of those profits, and to excessive mortgage credit. His new book is Read More >
15th November 2018
It’s official. We are most definitely not at the ‘back of the queue’ when it comes to a trade deal with the United States.
Actually, we’re at the front.
Well, we’re technically third if you take it in order of the letters released Read More >
15th November 2018
Few MPs disagree with Jo Johnson’s assessment that Mrs May’s Brexit Deal is a failure of British statecraft on a scale not seen since Suez. What divides them is where to go from here.
Remainers recognise that the current proposal is not Read More >
12th November 2018
Expensive hotels, beach resorts, and staggering travel costs: the UN’s World Health Organization (WHO) would have some tough questions to answer, if only the countries that funded it would ask them.
Unfortunately, the United Kingdom happily Read More >
11th November 2018
“What did you have for breakfast this morning?” That’s something that broadcast media guests get asked surprisingly often. It’s also the reason why Angela Eagle, much to the confusion of Twitter, began an interview about her withdrawal Read More >
10th November 2018
It’s a truism that people get more conservative as they get older. A corollary of that is that older people tend to be more Eurosceptic – something emphatically borne out by the results of the Brexit referendum.
Among the arguments pushed Read More >
9th November 2018
If the Conservatives want to win the next election, then they are going to need a story to tell voters that will appeal not only to their minds but also to their hearts. There is no point making the case for a slimmer state, lower taxes, or Read More >
7th November 2018
A lesser spotted announcement in the recent Budget was a commitment to ensure that empty lots on high streets — flats above shops and disused malls — could be transferred quickly to housing.
It’s a war I’ve been waging for a decade. Read More >
3rd November 2018
Under long-time Chancellor Angela Merkel, Germany had always been used to stability. Regardless of which political crises would hit its neighbours and other countries in the world, it was guaranteed that in Germany, the government would stand Read More >
2nd November 2018
I have a pair of lucky underpants. They were acquired during an encounter with a Sumatran rhino called Rosa who had become accustomed to human contact. A team from the International Rhino Foundation, including me, was despatched to the jungles of Read More >
1st November 2018
A newly released paper from the University of Cambridge makes interesting reading on fiscal devolution and the relationship between the state and local authorities.
The research makes clear that the local authorities which have made the Read More >
30th October 2018
A disturbing new trend has emerged.
Faced with strong evidence from the US of the terrible damage to welfare and GDP from our long-term failure to build enough homes with access to jobs and opportunities, the beginnings of a counter-revolution Read More >
28th October 2018
In her speech at Conservative Party Conference at the start of the month, the Prime Minister announced “an end to austerity”. In policy terms, this message has been the main focus of the post-conference talk for the commentariat. With polls Read More >
27th October 2018
Universal Credit was recently at the top of the news agenda thanks to a leaked Cabinet briefing and John Major comparing it to the Poll Tax. This time, the Department for Work and Pensions say that lone working-age parents could be £200 worse Read More >
25th October 2018
Earlier this month, William Nordhaus and Paul Romer were awarded the Nobel Prize in Economics. Nordhaus, the Sterling Professor of Economics at Yale University, is best known for his work in economic modelling and climate change. Romer, who Read More >
24th October 2018
With conference season over, we’re beginning to get the first indications of how the annual party gatherings affected voting intention. Much has been said and written, but what did the public actually make of it all?
The three polls we have Read More >
23rd October 2018
According to the Green Party, we should have a new economic target: leisure time. This, they argue, should be a formal measure of the economy. Our free time should be measured on an annual basis and be continually rising.
And why not? Leisure Read More >
22nd October 2018
When Lady Sybil, a wealthy British aristocrat in the popular television shown Downton Abbey, died of eclampsia during an episode set in 1920, it was a reminder of the progress that mankind has been made on maternal mortality. Despite being able Read More >
20th October 2018
As soldiers in a war of words go, the head of the UK Statistics Authority might seem an unlikely candidate.
But recently Sir David Norgrove came out swinging over the cavalier use of figures by Education Secretary Damian Hinds.
Sir David Read More >
16th October 2018
The one thing that stood out in Theresa May’s recent Conservative conference speech was her praise of free markets. In a hall erupting with applause, the Prime Minister noted “free markets are the greatest agent of collective human progress Read More >
26th September 2018
After more than a year of waiting, the Migration Advisory Committee’s report on our post-Brexit immigration system is finally here.
Its publication is timely, in the sense that immigration has for too long been on the back burner in the Read More >
7th September 2018
The most common question I am asked as a political consultant is “How is all this going to play out?” Any answer can of course be dismissed as pure conjecture and no prediction will turn out to be 100 per cent correct. But by talking to Read More >
3rd August 2018
Various shrill reports have been warning about a new crisis of “fake news” that imperils our democratic process. Damian Collins, the Tory MP who chairs the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee Select Committee, declares that it Read More >
25th July 2018
Pity Pakistan. In recent weeks it has suffered one of its worst ever terrorist attacks, with 149 people blown to bits. The rupee is crashing as the economy teeters on the brink of a debt crisis. And the country has been put on an international Read More >
24th July 2018
As any parent of school-age children will recognise, the end of term sometimes cannot come quickly enough. Theresa May clearly felt the same last week, given the Government’s abortive attempt to hasten the start of the summer recess. This has Read More >
20th July 2018
Up and down the country people are beginning to worry about the death of local government. Bus services are less frequent, accessing health and social care is becoming more difficult, and high streets shops are closing down. Local councils face Read More >
16th July 2018
Politics is the art of spending regardless of whether there is money to do so. This seems to be the motto of Pedro Sánchez, the new prime minister of Spain, who has recently revealed his intentions to boost public spending until the end of his Read More >
6th July 2018
“There is a tide in the affairs of men, which taken at the flood, leads on to fortune. Omitted, all the voyage of their life is bound in shallows and in miseries. On such a full sea are we now afloat. And we must take the current when it serves Read More >
3rd July 2018
The retirement of Justice Anthony Kennedy from the Supreme Court, and the imminent nomination of his replacement by Donald Trump, confirm that the United States has entered a new era. Or rather, it has left an old one.
We might or might not be Read More >
25th June 2018
The majority of people accept that we need to pay tax. However, we do so on the reasonable expectation that this money will be used to provide high-quality public services.
In reality though, this contract between the public and the state is Read More >
19th June 2018
Reading the Sunday papers can’t have been fun for Philip Hammond. After weeks of pressure from the health secretary and Number 10, it seems the chancellor has been forced to allow a big new spending pledge on the NHS to go ahead without any Read More >
16th June 2018
No matter how many times the Government rejects it, the idea that the UK will remain a Single Market member after leaving the European Union refuses to wither and die.
Those against Brexit, or for reducing its risks, argue that the Referendum Read More >
15th June 2018
There really only are two different ways of implementing Brexit. The first is for the UK to simply leave. No deal, no negotiations.
That this would be a costly option should be obvious. One estimate puts that cost at half a million jobs in Read More >
13th June 2018
Anyone who pays even a passing attention to opinion polls will have heard about the margin of error. For those of us who use social media regularly, it’s very often cited by someone trying to downplay a poll move or finding that’s Read More >
13th June 2018
I recently gave evidence to the House of Commons International Trade Select Committee on the economic effects of trade policy, alongside my Economists for Free Trade colleague Professor Patrick Minford.
As written evidence, I submitted a report Read More >
4th June 2018
Roman Abramovich’s visa issues will set alarm bells ringing for his fellow oligarchs. For years, this group of extraordinary rich politically-connected business owners have jet-setted between Russia and the West.
They have enjoyed the fruits Read More >
1st June 2018
Venezuela is “experiencing problems”, because the country has taken a “wrong turn”, Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell remarked over the weekend. That is a bit of an understatement, but I suppose we can agree on his basic Read More >
31st May 2018
It’s hard to ignore Switzerland’s experience when looking at Brexit.
Here we have another country that isn’t a member of the European Union, the single market or a customs union. It’s also a country that trades heavily with the EU. And Read More >
30th May 2018
It’s proving rather complicated, this Union thing, isn’t it? It was complicated enough when us Scots voted on independence to a mixed southern chorus of “please don’t go!” and “good riddance!”
It’s only got more tangled since, Read More >
23rd May 2018
Tom Wolfe didn’t just provide us with enjoyable books to read, noble accomplishment as that is. He helped us understand the world. Wolfe’s insights made explicable the flaws in our fellow man which were hitherto puzzling. Most particularly he Read More >
20th May 2018
As members of the Conservative Party under the age of 50, we are a rare breed. We’ve lost count of how many times we’ve been asked why we vote Conservative — and not Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour, who are “clearly so much better for young Read More >
19th May 2018
The British economy is slowing. There. I have said it. After repeatedly writing upbeat pieces for CapX to counter the doom and gloom mongers in the last two years, the facts are changing and so is my mind.
I would go further and say that the Read More >
18th May 2018
There we have it. The date and time for Donald Trump’s meeting with the Kim Jong-un are set.
It was announced when Trump’s newly appointed secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, returned from Pyongyang with three Americans who had been imprisoned Read More >
14th May 2018
For all Boris Johnson’s best efforts to persuade him otherwise, President Trump seems likely to pull the United States out of the 2015 Iranian nuclear agreement, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
This weekend Read More >
10th May 2018
This week will mark the 200th birthday of Karl Marx. It will be an occasion for a deluge of articles repeating the well-worn cliché that even though Marx’s predictions ultimately did not materialise, his analysis of capitalism was nonetheless Read More >
9th May 2018
The EU budget frenzy of (at least) one year has officially begun. Today, the European Commission, led by Budget Commissioner Günther Oettinger, revealed the first proposal for the upcoming multi-annual financial framework (MFF).
This budget Read More >
1st May 2018
The Prime Minister’s decision to appoint Sajid Javid to take over from Amber Rudd as Home Secretary was shrewd. He was the one member of the Cabinet with the credibility to defuse the Windrush scandal quickly, having himself been born to Read More >
1st May 2018
While President Trump has been preparing to rock the global trading system with aggressive moves to impose tariffs on Chinese imports, African leaders have been moving in a very different direction
In February, under the auspices of the African Read More >
Tackling the myths about Brexit and the customs union Proposals to soften Brexit must be sustainable
30th April 2018
Wild theories are doing the rounds about whether Britain should or should not join a permanent customs union with the EU after Brexit.
Unsurprisingly, Remain supporters have leapt at the idea as a way to soften Brexit. Some even hope that it Read More >
24th April 2018
This week’s Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting comes at a crucial juncture for the UK’s future as a trading nation.
Does Brexit change the way Britain should approach the Commonwealth and what can the government achieve in this meeting Read More >
3rd April 2018
For the last two years, on both sides of the Atlantic, liberals and other concerned citizens have spent their time searching for an answer to the agonising, appalling, question “How did this happen?” How, for the love of God, could the United Read More >
1st April 2018
When the UK voted to leave the European Union on June 23 2016, many people could not understand how David Cameron could have allowed such an important decision to be made by, of all people, the voters.
Some saw the decision to call a referendum Read More >
27th March 2018
During the 2015 General Election, Ed Miliband’s flagship pledge to cap energy prices was derided by conservatives as a deranged idea from the 1970s. The then-PM David Cameron accused “Red Ed” of “wanting to live in a Marxist universe”. Read More >
24th March 2018
Over 24 hours and counting, and the Autumn Budget still hasn’t unravelled. These days that probably counts as a win. The newspaper coverage has predictably split along party lines, but the consensus seems to be that Philip Hammond played a bad Read More >
14th March 2018
Horrified passengers suddenly realize their boat has a leak. They frantically start to paddle it with their hands towards a distant shore. The engine and sail sit ignored and unused. Meanwhile, someone at the stern refuses to raise the Read More >
27th February 2018
We’re told that there are near half a million planning permissions out there as yet unbuilt. Enough to keep the house-building industry going for five years – thus it it argued that it cannot be the planning permission system which causes Read More >
20th February 2018
The British Prime Minister Theresa May has been taking criticism, both at home and in EU circles, for being unable to answer precisely the question of what sort of relationship she wants the UK to have with the EU after it has ceased to be a Read More >
5th February 2018
The government has found another way to put off ending the housing crisis: it is to launch a review into land-banking, and is expected to recommend a “use it or lose it” approach.
It is the latest in a depressingly long list of Labour Read More >
22nd January 2018
After nearly losing a general election that she did not need to call, last year ended with Mrs May pulling off the greatest coup of her Premiership. By stumping up enough money, she persuaded the EU that sufficient progress had been made to Read More >
25th October 2017
It is no great revelation that the Cabinet is split on Brexit but the most fundamental split is not one that the mainstream press spends much time analysing. The big divide is between those Cabinet members who want a Canada-style free trade Read More >
4th October 2017
What a contrast between the Labour and Conservative party conferences. One was more like a rock concert, the other a dull business convention.
Labour members scent power and they are high on it. A palpable wave of excitement sweeps across the Read More >
26th July 2017
Six months ago, building new homes for the British was heralded as one of the great crusades of Theresa May’s Conservative government.
A housing green paper published in February led on the theme of looking after Generation Rent, with Read More >
23rd June 2017
For a whole week, the Chancellor of the Exchequer has been out and about on the airwaves of the United Kingdom, attempting to talk up the prospect of a long transitional period for the UK-EU relationship after the UK’s membership of the EU Read More >
A view from the inside Our political insider Adrian Pepper on the recent developments in Westminster
11th June 2017
Despite some of the commentary and analysis of the few days since the UK general election, it is worth reminding ourselves of the result. The Labour party lost the general election and the Conservatives won, albeit that they lost their Read More >
8th May 2017
You wouldn’t think it from listening to the BBC, watching Sky News or ITN nor from reading the Daily Express. But as negotiations on Brexit continue, the UK and EU may find they can strike a grown up and wide-ranging deal after all.
It Read More >
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