Funding the Future

Trump’s turning on the mainstream media in the US. Much of it is to be banned from the White House. How can US democracy survive this attack, and those that are bound to follow? 

It takes some political incompetence to announce a defence spending plan that reduces our security, undermines our soft power, does not deliver for the UK economy, and puts the cost on the wrong people, but Starmer’s managed it. 

The Tories were once the party of reliable, uncontentious and boring middle England. Now Kemi Badenoch claims they are the saviours of a form of Western civilisation that is a figment of her imagination. What hope have they in that unaccustomed role?

The far right have doubled their support in Germany. But, they’re no more popular than the left, and 80% did not vote for fascists. What are the lessons to learn, especially in the UK?

Unless politicians mean what they say we get a world where nothing can be relied on and chaos rules. Trump’s disdain for the truth is profoundly harmful in that case.

Trump is trying to break government, the USA, world peace and much more. We could despair, or we could, as happened in WW2, plan for a better future. I suggest this is the time to plan.

If we need to pay more for defence the last people who should pay for it are those most dependent on the state. It’s the richest who should be covering the cost.

Donald Trump has declared himself King in the USA. He should take a lesson from history. King Canute of England, Denmark and Norway knew there were limitations on regal power. Trump does not. That’s why he’s bound to fail.

The City wants an end to cash ISAs, and that would be a mistake

Elon Musk might think he’s very smart, but his management style – which is controversial in the private sector – is totally alien to the state sector because it relies on the acceptability of failure and governments must never fail.