The end of the American empire“Democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want, and deserve to get it good and hard” wrote H L Mencken. That is the…Nov 7Nov 7
Careful what you wish for: political editionIn early 2016, several of my American friends were excited. They thought that Donald Trump’s progress towards the Republican nomination…Jun 61Jun 61
Why the Conservatives are turning into the Republicans, part twoFour years ago, I wrote about the strange transformation of Britain’s Conservative party from a middle-class, pro-business and pragmatic…Dec 10, 2023Dec 10, 2023
The UK’s hat trick of failureThe remarkable market reaction to the mini-BudgetSep 23, 2022Sep 23, 2022
Four meals away from chaosEdinburgh during the fringe is a glorious celebration of the artistic spirit, with any tourist walking down the Royal Mile sure to be…Sep 1, 2022Sep 1, 2022
Having a Laffer: the strange new world of Conservative economic policyThe race to become the next Conservative party leader (and Britain’s next prime minister) has turned into a debate about how much and how…Jul 18, 2022Jul 18, 2022
Why the British political system is superior to the AmericanBoris Johnson has finally resigned. Although it will take him a while to go, a new prime minister will be in place by the autumn. To refer…Jul 8, 2022Jul 8, 2022
Why the markets are wobblingStock markets suffer setbacks on a frequent basis and the tricky issue for investors is to distinguish the temporary wobbles from the more…May 11, 2022May 11, 2022
The three-card trick: how governments fool the public and avoid responsibilityThe British partygate scandal has been handled with a tactic so old, and so obvious, that it is amazing anyone falls for it. But the tactic…Apr 17, 2022Apr 17, 2022
Democracy and the strong man problemSometimes it is easy to despair of democracy; how could a sensible system bring the likes of Donald Trump and Boris Johnson to power? These…Mar 6, 2022Mar 6, 2022