Like a phoenix rising the people of former “socialist republic of South Yorkshire” now have their own transport network I will put my cards on the table – I am a massive fan of public transport. Some of this was born out of necessity. I didn’t get a car until
I was there (almost) at the beginning of Progress. In those first days in 1996 it was Derek Draper and Kate Dixon; then I turned up, initially as an intern, to process the backlog of magazine subscriptions and somehow stayed. I remember my “interview” with Kate as not really an
Consider the following scenario: a marketing executive takes on a large new client and needs to scale up their advertising operations. They face a choice between two options: they can employ a person, or they can pay a subscription for an AI agent. But our tax system means the playing
London’s local elections in 2026 are shaping up to be some of the most volatile in a generation. While the capital is often labelled a “Labour city,” the reality on the ground is far messier. Labour is under pressure from multiple directions: Reform on the right, and the Greens and
We are reaching a tipping point. Around the world, democracy is under assault from a combination of disinformation on social media, an emboldened far-right, and economic inequalities fuelling dissatisfaction with the status quo. Outdated institutions are dying hard and fast, and Westminster’s voting system is one of them. Academics and
There is no point pretending otherwise: the last few days have been bruising. The name on everyone’s lips is Peter Mandelson. Among many others from the New Labour era, he has had a long association with Progress, and for that reason alone it would be dishonest to dodge the issue
Between a rock and a hard place The security situation the UK faces is the most tense and dangerous for 80 years. The recent publication of the US national security strategy (NSS) was extremely alarming, portraying European liberal democracies as somehow a political or ideological threat to the United States.
Ninety years ago, the Spanish civil war pitted an elected popular front government against Franco’s fascist forces actively supported by Hitler and Mussolini. Take a look at Picasso’s famous painting of the Nazi bombing of Guernica now displayed at the UN. Left-wingers urgently pressed the UK’s Conservative Government to arm
Over the last handful of years, I’ve probably moderated hundreds of focus groups around the country. Not much can phase me about public opinion. Yet every now and again something happens that makes me sit up and take note. On one such occasion, towards the end of last year, I
During my 15-year stint at Progress, I often wondered whether the Great Train Robbers or I had served more time. In truth, my run as director of Progress – interrupted by two spells as a Special Adviser – was both professionally rewarding and personally fulfilling. This was a time of
