Essays
Our contributors explain what they think and why. Each essay is the author's own view.
The stagnation machine
A favourable comparison with another struggling economy doesn't tell us whether investment, productivity and wages are good enough here.
The Norman Yoke
The complaint that England's rulers are estranged from its people has a radical history that doesn't fit today's political labels.
The delivery problem
Replacing a minister won't fix obstacles built into the way we make decisions. Practical reform needs public trust as well.
The fund we never built
Norway saved oil wealth in a fund. Britain's different circumstances explain part of the contrast, but we should still question the habit of spending windfalls.
Why the right answer has no party
A proposal deserves examination whether its supporters win elections or struggle to get heard.
How we end up disagreeing
An argument about evidence and an argument about priorities need different answers. We often mistake one for the other.
The emigration half of the equation
Who leaves Britain, and why? A serious migration argument should care about departures as well as arrivals.
No villain to crown
People facing the same incentives can produce similar outcomes without organising them together. A pattern isn't sufficient evidence of a plan.
One culprit in the dock
Strong evidence of discrimination in one setting doesn't establish a global ranking. Conclusions need to fit what the research measured.
Who kept the loaf
What French and English words can tell us about power after the conquest, and where the familiar story goes too far.
The performance problem
Being good at attracting attention and being good at governing aren't the same skill. Voters need a better chance to judge both.
Who should own the water?
Most households can't leave their water supplier. That changes the case for private ownership and the protection customers need.