It’s the 40th anniversary of the end of the miners strike and I went back to Redhills to watch a documentary about the. strike. People who grew up in former mining owns bemoaned the decline of manufacturing and similar industries, and the disappearance of the tight knit communities that grew up around them Thatcher’s period … Read more
For much of the last forty years, Britain’s economic direction appeared settled. Governments argued about tax rates, spending priorities and public services, but the broad framework changed little. Privatisation, deregulation, competition, independent regulation, free trade and globalisation became part of the political consensus. Even Labour governments largely accepted the settlement created during the Thatcher years. … Read more
I used to work in Redcar. Every morning I would drive past the steelworks. It dominated the landscape, physically and psychologically. You could see it from miles away: towers, chimneys, flames, steam, conveyors, endless geometry in rust red and grey. Whatever else Teesside was, it was a place that made things. Even if you never … Read more
Are Pubs Really in Trouble? Reform are proposing a package of support for pubs — or possibly the whole hospitality sector. It’s not entirely clear. Robert Jenrick says one thing, Lee Anderson another. But before we get into subsidies, it’s worth asking a basic question: Are pubs actually in trouble? A Sector Caught in a … Read more