It’s become something of a cliché to say that the 2020s are starting to feel like the 1930s – with international crises building upon international crises and reliable allies proving to be anything but. There is, however, one big difference to the decade which saw a tsunami of extremist threats. Our predecessors back then weren’t also facing climate disaster. Wise […]
Tipping losers
The well-funded, young, neoliberal influencers currently popping up all over social media are a weird bunch, espousing equally weird causes. But few are as weird as those claiming to be defenders of our public realm against threats like fly-tipping or graffiti. Tackling such things, of course, necessitates well-funded public regulators and public cleansing operations, two things neoliberals are usually anxious […]
The renewal we urgently need
Planning a journey on the West Coast Main Line today proved near impossible yet again, thanks to widespread delays and cancellations. I was reminded for the umpteenth time that our rail network’s drainage system, designed for the Victorians’ chilly but stable climate, is no longer fit for 21st century weather that’s getting ever more extreme. While populist politicians try to […]