The Prime Minister recently travelled down to Torridge and West Devon, the constituency of my parliamentary colleague Geoffrey Cox QC MP, to celebrate the re-opening of the historic Appledore shipyard. The last survivor of a centuries-old tradition of shipbuilding on the North Devon estuary, sailors from the village are rumoured Read more…
BY JAMES YUCEL As we approach the final stage of the Brexit negotiations, this country, and our negotiators, increasingly face a once-in-a-lifetime choice. We can accept Michel Barnier’s terms as they are and see ourselves restrained by EU regulation for decades to come – or we can choose freedom in Read more…
BY SIR JOHN REDWOOD The BBC are their own worst opponents. Their recent cancellation of a couple of much loved old songs that are famous worldwide and have not before caused protests led many of their former BBC news/Radio 4 audience to anger or despair. They are so dominated by Read more…
BY CALVIN ROBINSON It’s outrageous and, therefore, to be expected. As of this month, the BBC will be charging over 75s the full cost of their licence fee. Who would have thought they’d stoop so low? Well, actually – many of us. As more and more people are coming to Read more…
BY ETHAN THOBURN Recently, Chancellor Rishi Sunak outlined Britain’s post Coronavirus economic plan in his summer statement. This included a massive package of government support, such as a 15pc VAT cut in the leisure and tourism industry plus the ‘eat out to help out’ scheme, incentivising people to dine in Read more…
BY MAX YOUNG Any major crisis tests the major constituent parts of society – their ability to adapt, plan, maintain key functions, and emerge intact. Unfortunately for Britain, our public sector has failed this test across the board. Whitehall departments remain largely deserted as their infrastructure and services grind almost Read more…
BY ADAM HAMDY On 2nd March, Free Market Conservatives published this piece, which called on the British government to take swift, decisive action to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. The research that formed the basis of the piece was sent to Matt Hancock by a former cabinet minister who’d asked for Read more…
BY ETHAN THOBURN With disturbing rumours of tax increases in the air, I recently wrote a piece for this site outlining the economic approach I would like to see in the wake of the Coronacrisis. One of the policies I suggested was scrapping HS2 – something which I’m sure plenty of Read more…
BY CHARLOTTE SALOMON The recent controversy circling the statue in Gelsenkirchendid brought to mind a famous quote from Lenin, “There are decades where nothing happens, and there are weeks where decades happen”. Back in March, The Bank of England’s governor, Andrew Bailey, announced it was prepared to “do what it Read more…
BY HOLLY WHITBREAD It is hard to believe that the General Election was only six months ago, it feels like a lifetime. I remember the euphoria of seeing that exit poll after weeks of facing all the elements whilst campaigning in the North of England. During this time the rain Read more…
BY JACK SOWERBY When the history of Britain in the first half of the 21st Century is written it may well be that 2020 comes to be a defining year, comparable to 1956 or 1991. A year when the old certainties about the world and Britain’s place in it shifted Read more…
BY JAMES YUCEL Well, this has certainly been a week to remember. Under 48 hours ago, I set up an account, out of frustration, on a whim, titled ‘Defund The BBC’ with an aim to scrap the Licence Fee and since then we have gained over 50,000 followers. For too Read more…
BY JASON REED In times of crisis, it is not unusual for political priorities to be drastically rearranged. For instance, ordinarily, the government would never consider taking over the payrolls of millions of furloughed workers at enormous cost, but that has become necessary thanks to unprecedented circumstances. Even though that Read more…
BY HOLLY WHITBREAD The coronavirus has been a disaster for the High Street. With countless shop doors forced to close for the sake of public health, many feared that this pandemic would be the final nail in the coffin of the British High Street, which has been declining for some Read more…
BY ED McGUINNESS Much has been written about how the Government has stepped in to support the economy in dealing with the coronavirus crisis. Amongst the provisions introduced include the Self-employment Income Support and the Job Retention (furlough) Schemes, and support for businesses both large – with loans of up Read more…
BY JAKE WATERFIELD Why is there crime? What goes through criminals’ heads when they break the law? These are, I am sure, questions that go through every law-abiding citizen’s head whenever they see or hear about crimes being committed. In this article, I argue that some crimes are the result Read more…
BY ETHAN THOBURN During times of crisis, it is all too tempting for some people to revert back to the failings and evils of Socialism. However, that would be the wrong move. If we must look to the past, then let us look at the example set by our party’s Read more…
BY CHRIS BULLIVANT Economic recovery after COVID post-Brexit will need the UK to be able to develop existing industries in new markets, fast. One area where the UK will have a significant competitive advantage over the EU once outside is in scientific innovation – in particular the application of genetic Read more…
BY BENJAMIN OBESE-JECTY On May 8th 1945 at 2120hrs, representatives of the Oberkommando der Wehrmacht signed the definitive Act of Military Surrender in Karlshorst Berlin, officially acceding to a cessation of hostilities and drawing the Second World War to a close. May 8th would henceforth be celebrated by the Allied Read more…
BY JOHN REDWOOD Everyone agrees it is a big call. Most agree it has to be made by the Cabinet, preferably with the PM present and guiding. The best way to get the economy moving again is to get people back to work. How possible is this any time soon? Read more…