The UK has inherited too much process-driven regulation from the EU, which tends to apply the precautionary principle - regulate early and heavily if there’s even a theoretical risk - even before clear evidence of harm.

Public sector pensions should be reformed. Not just because of the unfunded off-balance sheet £1.4 trillion liability, but because they are fundamentally unfair.

Those who say our sense of community has gone should take a look at rural England.

Gatwick airport’s £2.2bn second runway plan has been given the go-ahead by the transport secretary, Heidi Alexander.

The future is always a mix of gains and losses, and for the UK there are some fairly clear trajectories where life is likely to get better, but also areas where challenges will deepen.

Partly we think this is making the same mistake everyone did about university. Graduates make more money than non-graduates.

Yes, yes, of course, George’s career is one of speaking truth to power etc.

D’ye recall when Professor Piketty told us all that wealth had become so important to the economy that we were going back to the days of Jane Austen?

There is an obvious case for suggesting that politicians and minor royals like to associate with billionaires because they don't have enough money themselves to live the lifestyle they think their status entitles them to.

It’s not unusual to see Guardianistas and the like bemoaining the fact that Britain spent the oil money. If only we’d saved it all like Norway we’d have a huge wealth fund!

The Treasury exhibits a narrow focus on tax receipts and interest rates.

One Treasury source said they expected the OBR to “kitchen sink it” – making a significant downward revision to productivity forecasts in one go rather than taking a more piecemeal approach.