Housing and a generation of new towns was a big theme of the Labour leader’s conference speech last week — rightly so The lines have been drawn in 2H pencil, if not yet in full HB. October’s party conference season has seen the Conservatives and Labour start to position themselves…

Infrastructure and public opinion in Britain and across the world Whether it be existing systems failing or new projects stalling, infrastructure tends to make the news when things go wrong. …

Tax, spend and public opinion “We’re not going to save the planet by bankrupting Britons” said the Home Secretary shortly before Rishi Sunak pushed back the ban on new petrol and diesel cars and delayed or cancelled other net zero policies. Just the other day, Paul Johnson of the IFS…

Public opinion, housebuilding and the green belt How well do we know our own country? In The English, Jeremy Paxman described a tendency towards “rural romanticism”, pointing to the gap between our imagined England and its reality. …

The state of public and political opinion in Britain Some enterprising souls have tried, but as the saying goes, “you can’t un-toast toast.” The polls consistently show the Conservatives trailing Labour by large margins not just in terms of voting intention but also their image and policy positions. …

Artificial intelligence, perils and public opinion Artificial Intelligence has seemingly gone mainstream overnight. It is proving to be the most extreme example of the ‘Accelerando’ — a period of rapid technological change foretold by sci-fi writers — with engineering and the art of the possible racing ahead of the due…

Does ending homelessness show us a way out of the housing crisis? ** This article originally featured as ‘Comment’ in Inside Housing 3.7.23 Homewards — the programme launched by Prince William and The Royal Foundation of The Prince and Princess of Wales — will demonstrate that it is possible to…

Interest rates, mortgages, politicians, central bankers and public opinion On Thursday 22nd June, the Bank of England announced a 0.5% increase in the base rate. It was the thirteenth successive monthly increase and the Bank’s rate is at its highest level for about 15 years. …

Crime and public opinion — what’s changed and what hasn’t I thought about crime last week. First, I saw reference to “tough on crime, tough on the causes of crime” when flicking through Labour’s draft policy platform for 2024. …