When I picked up 'What the Immigrant Saw', I wasn't sure if I would buy it. Despite knowing the author slightly through Westminster Association politics, admiring his work putting together 'Freedom Week', and years of attending events run by his employer – the Adam Smith Institute – I wavered. Am I that interested in a […]
What would have happened if Norman Tebbit had followed Margaret Thatcher as Prime Minister?
I am pleased that Oliver Letwin has cheerfully admitted that the government's "nudge unit" may well have no impact. Whether or not it is right to have a unit in government to investigate the potential of behavioural economics, it is certainly right that ministers feel free to view the field with appropriate scepticism. I find […]
Walking through London during this week's tube strike got me thinking. According to the Daily Telegraph last year, there are 3,500 London tube drivers. Of course, that's not 3,500 all driving trains at once. Only a fraction will be needed at any one time to keep the Underground running. This fraction of 3,500 must be […]
Peter Cuthbertson and Tim Aker compiled this year’s Non-Jobs report for the TaxPayers’ Alliance, released today. I wonder if, somewhere in Britain, there is a headteacher willing to ask The Guardian newspaper to run his school’s careers fare. At one stall, pupils could be told what qualifications are required to be an ‘Information Sharing and […]
What a great period the last few turbulent months must have been for political journalists! And now they have another leadership election to enjoy, with a frontrunner many of them find very sympathetic. Nick Cohen explains: "My colleagues in the commentariat love Nick Clegg. They would marry him if they could. I exaggerate, but only […]
Peter Cuthbertson, now working at the IEA but writing in a personal capacity, suggests that an understanding of general wellbeing should account for both GDP and social welfare. When John Gummer and Zac Goldsmith were looking for a way to judge general well-being, they could have done better than endorsing the Index of Sustainable Economic […]
Peter Cuthbertson argues that Frank Field was so quick on the uptake with analysing the true root causes of poverty and dependency, that David Cameron should bring him into the next Conservative Cabinet to implement the solutions himself. Even if it comes to office with a healthy majority, when the next Conservative government is formed, […]
Peter lives in Washington D.C. and writes regularly on politics and foreign affairs. Just before Christmas, Matthew Parris chose to devote his Times column to the "one good thing" he had to say about Tony Blair: "Mr Blair will leave a happier country than he found. Something tolerant, something amiable, something humorous, some lightness of […]
Peter Cuthbertson is a Research Fellow of The TaxPayers’ Alliance and author of the Annual Non-Job Report 2006 Here are a few short phrases, next time you need examples of government waste: “Southall Black Sisters require an Asian woman” “Head of Achievement and Inclusion” “Deputy Youth Offending Team Manager” “… particularly welcome applications from lesbian, […]
Peter Cuthbertson reviews the lobbyist Scott Colvin’s book How to Use Politicians to Get What You Want