Funding the Future

Most people have no clue how their pension and other savings are managed, or who by, and what the consequences for the economy, the planet or themselves of that management of their savings might be. Why is it that £6 trillion of pension fund money in the UK is totally unaccountable and what would happen if we brought it back under saver control?

Rachel Reeves increased the minimum wage, the rate of employers’ national insurance and the amount of income on which that charge is levied in her Budget. Now every labour-intensive activity in the country, from the NHS, to teaching and childcare as well as hospitality, and many smaller businesses are rightly complaining. Reeves made a massive mistake. She has to change her mind.

Trump’s plan to impose massive tariffs on imports into the USA are bad news for US consumers, and most specially the poorest people in that country. But they are also really bad news for the UK in a great many ways, and for the rest of the world as well, because we just don’t know how to manage the chaos they will unleash.

If we want to change things, we do have to change the rules of government. We have to change them so that people are at their epicentre and that things that matter are the goals that government must achieve.

The ‘return to work’ now being enforced by many organisations makes no sense for many people, or the planet. It really is time that we have some enlightened managers who did what is best for people and the world, and not what they see as being best for them.

Trump controls the Presidency, Senate and, most likely, the House. He has no excuses for not delivering on his promises as a result. But, he is also going to rely on very inexperienced people to deliver them. The chance that a great deal will go wrong is high. And if he fails the backlash from voters will be strong. 2026 might be a good year for the Democrats.

The question always asked about the UK economy is why are we so unproductive? Might it be that UK business does not seek to use the skills, talents, curiosity and drive of its employees in useful ways, which is why so many of those employees direct those talents into their hobbies instead?

People fought for the right to democratic equal representation in this country from the 17th century onwards, and I still think it is the basis of a sound, well governed society. But we have to eliminate the flaws to make sure that's what we get.

Kemi Badenoch has made clear that she thinks that university-educated people who might challenge what she wants to do to this country are high on her list of the enemies of society. I, on the other hand, work at a university, seeking to produce the people who might hold her to account. Does that make me Kemi Badenoch’s problem?

Trump’s election brings his incoherent and destructive economic policies, that have significant potential impacts for the UK, to the fore. We need to worry, because we’re going to pay for the price for the USA’s mistake.