I have just stumbled across this super piece, and have promptly subscribed. To take up your request on net zero, people I find well worth reading/talking to include Dr Simon Evans who produces detailed, sourced analysis on it for Carbon Brief (and was environmental journalist of the year in the British Journalism Awards a couple of years ago) and James Murray, Editor of Business Green, who - for my money - is the best envronment/energy commentator writing at present (much, though not all, of his stuff is behind a paywall, alas). I'll shortly send links to a few documents to the email you give below. Best, Geoff
I'm Reform-curious, in that I want less immigration, less crime, less "net zero"*, and more freedom. And I've lost faith in the Conservative Party. But . . .
Farage is an admirer of Donald Trump, which I find a bit worrying
Their cloud-cuckoo-lander economic ideas
Their deputy leader, Richard Tice, is a dimwit
What I really want is a political party led by Matthew Syed, the Sunday Times columnist. I want all the same things he wants.
*By "net zero", I mean environmental policies that will cost a lot of money, or inconvenience a lot of people, but won't actually make any noticeable difference as far as global warming goes. For example, subsidising the wood-burning Drax power station. Policies that are performative, rather than effective.
You are correct in that there does not seem to be a coherent or a well-researched economic plan in place, but given the haphazard nature of Reform growth, and a rather eclectic ideological composition, its unsurprising that the numbers don't add up at present. If tax breaks can be married to modest savings, without sacrificing the core entitlements, there is a chance for a demand-led growth internally, but only if those changes are implemented in stages.
I am sure that there is more that could be put on the chopping block, and there are other, structural elements that underpin UK's abysmal growth (low capital investment, over-reliance on cheap labour, high energy costs), which ought to be resolved. I am yet to see these policy proposals from Reform itself though, as opposed from the vast number of commentators and policy wonks, who have been throwing their ideas at politicians for years with little effect.
Nothing wrong in principle indeed with wanting a smaller state. But demographic headwinds re aging population do make that tough, and the lesson of the austerity years is very much that across-the-board salami-slicing can store up big problems for the future (see policing, NHS capital budgets, etc.).
I have just stumbled across this super piece, and have promptly subscribed. To take up your request on net zero, people I find well worth reading/talking to include Dr Simon Evans who produces detailed, sourced analysis on it for Carbon Brief (and was environmental journalist of the year in the British Journalism Awards a couple of years ago) and James Murray, Editor of Business Green, who - for my money - is the best envronment/energy commentator writing at present (much, though not all, of his stuff is behind a paywall, alas). I'll shortly send links to a few documents to the email you give below. Best, Geoff
I'm Reform-curious, in that I want less immigration, less crime, less "net zero"*, and more freedom. And I've lost faith in the Conservative Party. But . . .
Farage is an admirer of Donald Trump, which I find a bit worrying
Their cloud-cuckoo-lander economic ideas
Their deputy leader, Richard Tice, is a dimwit
What I really want is a political party led by Matthew Syed, the Sunday Times columnist. I want all the same things he wants.
*By "net zero", I mean environmental policies that will cost a lot of money, or inconvenience a lot of people, but won't actually make any noticeable difference as far as global warming goes. For example, subsidising the wood-burning Drax power station. Policies that are performative, rather than effective.
I expect you've already seen this:
https://www.samdumitriu.com/p/reforms-very-expensive-pylon-plan
Relevant to net zero:
https://unchartedterritories.tomaspueyo.com/p/we-can-already-stop-climate-change
Sam's stuff is great
I work for an SMR developer in the UK, would be happy to talk with you about the space if interested.
Yep, would be good to chat-- my email is firstlast@economist.com, send something over and we can take it from there
Liz Trust 30 year gilts 4.8 % Starmer 5.5 %.
You are correct in that there does not seem to be a coherent or a well-researched economic plan in place, but given the haphazard nature of Reform growth, and a rather eclectic ideological composition, its unsurprising that the numbers don't add up at present. If tax breaks can be married to modest savings, without sacrificing the core entitlements, there is a chance for a demand-led growth internally, but only if those changes are implemented in stages.
I am sure that there is more that could be put on the chopping block, and there are other, structural elements that underpin UK's abysmal growth (low capital investment, over-reliance on cheap labour, high energy costs), which ought to be resolved. I am yet to see these policy proposals from Reform itself though, as opposed from the vast number of commentators and policy wonks, who have been throwing their ideas at politicians for years with little effect.
Nothing wrong in principle indeed with wanting a smaller state. But demographic headwinds re aging population do make that tough, and the lesson of the austerity years is very much that across-the-board salami-slicing can store up big problems for the future (see policing, NHS capital budgets, etc.).