Who said history never repeats itself? In Whitehall, Gordon Brown was known as “the Great Clunking Fist”. Now, in his “Plan for Change” speech last Thursday, Sir Keir Starmer promised that his plan would “land on desks across Whitehall with the heavy thud of a gauntlet being thrown down”. He promised his “mission-led government” would be dynamic, more decisive, more […]

It’s seldom difficult to make young men angry about something. John Osborne’s 1956 play Look Back in Anger reflected a whole generation of 1950s “angry young men” who were angry about the class system, inequality and repressive social norms. Today, however, young men’s anger has been weaponised against many of the social and environmental norms that characterise healthy societies. I […]

Most, if not all, senior politicians fulfil the old quip about every political career ending in failure. John Prescott, who died last week was unfortunately no exception. Much ink has been spilled since he died on his remarkable, bumpy and loud political career. But no-one really seems to have celebrated his valiant four-year attempt to point the nation’s planning and […]

The prime minister’s speech to the International Investment Summit last week assured the wealthy folk who had flown so far in their private jets that he shared an ambition with them. Growth. Whether the “Masters of the Universe” were impressed or not, only time will tell. But just looking at the big shocks coming down the line, it’s at least […]

It was, I suppose, sadly predictable that environment secretary Steve Reed should give his “first significant interview since Labour took power” to the home builders’ house magazine, the Sunday Times. He certainly managed to sound house builder friendly. Campaigners to protect green spaces should not expect the right to a veto over planning, he warned them. As if. Who are […]