The budget’s childcare deception

This from the Early Years Alliance: So, as ever, it is a Conservative lie to suggest that additional childcare is somehow imminent… And in any case the Surestart policy rationale for extended childcare, for which demise, incidentally, I’ve regularly and perhaps remarkably, encountered disappointment on the doorstep, used to be about giving all children a… Read more

Isn’t the budget itself an economic misunderstanding fest?

After all, a government that creates its own money doesn’t need a financial budget at all. It might need a budget for resources – such as how many doctors or nurses are required to be trained for the NHS – or how much skilled resources and appropriate materials are available to create more wind and… Read more

Food Security

On Monday’s Today programme Henry Dimbleby, who was originally asked by the Conservatives to look into the food system, suggested his surprise that they have not paid any attention to his subsequent report. Me too, it was rather good. But he is now suggesting that, for the supermarkets, the contract is all and although the… Read more

‘Inward’ private investment or real government investment?

This 30 seconds is from Martin Broughton, Chairman of IEA, (parent company of British Airways) on how unattractive investing in Britain is – particularly since Brexit: Similar wariness is on display in this Bloomberg report of an interview with Shell’s CEO: Shell Plc’s new boss said Britain is less attractive as an investment destination than… Read more