Britain’s tax system is overly complex and destroys our growth prospects. Should Labour follow Australia’s lead and convene a roundtable of business leaders and experts to really overhaul the system? CapX’s deputy editor Joseph Dinnage is joined by Dr Lawrence Newport from Looking for Growth and the political strategist John Oxley for a clear-eyed look at how to cut the fat and get Britain moving again. Plus: the Tories say they’ll introduce fines for noisy phones on the tube. But who’s going to enforce the rule? And why is the Notting Hill Carnival still so dangerous?

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Sir Keir Starmer is reportedly becoming more and more frustrated at the sluggish reality of government within the current system. Who can blame him? Government is beset by a sclerotic Civil Service and continuous legal battles. But, as Looking for Growth's Lawrence Newport explains, a renewed sense of urgency might be just what Labour needs.

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Donald Trump’s encounter with Vladimir Putin has raised fresh doubts over the prospects for peace in Ukraine. Meanwhile, Argentina’s dramatic economic turnaround offers lessons that Britain’s Conservatives may find hard to ignore. And with whispers of sweeping reform to the UK’s property taxes, what might this mean for growth and political credibility? CapX editor Marc Sidwell is joined by economist Cornelia Meyer and National Review columnist Dominic Pino to unpack the forces now reshaping markets and strategy across the West.

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Labour’s economic policies are hitting Britain’s job market hard — from higher National Insurance and rising minimum wages to new employment regulations that make hiring riskier and more expensive. Joseph Dinnage, deputy editor of CapX, examines the latest data on job losses, recruitment slumps, and the growing costs facing small businesses, and warns of the impact on graduates, hospitality, and the wider economy.

Despatch highlights the best writing from CapX, read by an automated voice, and is produced by the team behind The Capitalist.

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Wikipedia’s bruising encounter with the UK’s Online Safety Act has exposed why rules aimed at Big Tech are already having unintended consequences. Now, Silicon Valley heavyweight Marc Andreessen is taking his objections straight to Downing Street, joining a global chorus of free-speech advocates warning the law is muzzling expression online.

Also on the show: the tangled web of Britain’s tax code. With frozen thresholds, stealth tax rises and shrinking reliefs, is it any wonder high earners are looking to Dubai and Riyadh?

Henry Hill of Conservative Home and Maxwell Marlow from the Adam Smith Institute join CapX’s Marc Sidwell for a tour through three flashpoints in Britain’s policy landscape.

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Is the Conservative comeback already underway? In this week’s Despatch, James Cowling from Next Gen Tories argues the vibe shift is real — and it’s arriving faster than expected. With Labour stumbling and Reform flailing, the opportunity is ripe for a bold, pro-growth Tory revival.

Cowling outlines the two major pivots required: redefining the party against both Labour and Reform, and proving the Conservatives have learned hard lessons that others haven’t. From fiscal responsibility and planning reform to energy abundance and urban relevance, this episode makes the case for Conservatives 2.0 — a leaner, smarter, and more serious force for Britain’s future.

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Virtual private networks are often associated with dodging censorship in far-flung authoritarian states. But now, VPN downloads are surging in Britain — a response to new age-verification rules designed to make the internet safer.

Are the measures simply too blunt to be effective? And could the public backlash undermine Labour’s ambition to position the UK as a global tech leader? Tom Ough, author of The Anti-Catastrophe League, is joined by technology lawyer Preston Byrne and CapX editor Marc Sidwell to explore the implications.

Plus: Lord Kinnock’s call to extend VAT to private healthcare. A revenue-raising move for the NHS — or a policy that risks deepening the pressure on a system already struggling to cope?

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Economic journalist Mani Basharzad reflects on Britain’s Online Safety Act — and what it reveals about the rise of managerialism in public life.

What begins as a discussion of misinformation soon unfolds into something broader: a quiet shift away from the liberal tradition of debate and dissent, toward a more technocratic instinct to manage, correct, and control.

With nods to James Burnham, James Buchanan, and John Stuart Mill, this is a calm but pointed meditation on the value of open inquiry — and a reminder that freedom isn’t always lost through loud confrontation, but through quiet consensus.

Despatch features the best writing from CapX's daily newsletter – narrated by an automated voice.

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Are Britain’s doctors striking based on a broken metric? Economist Andrew Lilico says RPI—the measure unions love—is complete NONSENSE compared to CPI. Policy analyst Francois Valentin agrees, claiming you’d be hard-pressed to find ANY profession with real wage growth since 2008 using that number.

Then we turn to the EU’s silent acceptance of Trump’s tariffs. Lilico calls it a political HUMILIATION. Valentin says it shatters the Brexit-era myth that being part of a big bloc makes you stronger.

Finally, we dive into a bold new idea: could Britain bring back global wealth with laser-focused tax breaks? It’s controversial, it’s strategic — and it might just work.

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Michael Moore, chief executive of the British Private Equity and Venture Capital Association, takes aim at the lazy caricatures and media misfires that still dominate public perceptions of private equity. Far from asset-stripping villains, today’s private capital investors are quietly powering British enterprise — backing thousands of SMEs, creating jobs, driving productivity, and helping build a more resilient, innovative economy.

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