Is Andy Burnham a Nimby?
The Greater Manchester Mayor is rejecting his own housing policies
It’s London Tech Week, and the Government was keen to show its support for innovation and enterprise by [checks notes] having the Business Secretary announce plans to take taxpayer-funded stakes in British firms. Keir Starmer also demonstrated his laser focus on growth by telling big tech companies to block under-18s from viewing nudes – or else.
Apparently, Starmer thinks online safety is a way to give himself a legacy, though it didn’t do the Tories much good.
Elsewhere, the tariffs brought in as part of Labour’s effort to prop up domestic steelmaking already look set to make it even more difficult to hit the party’s promised targets on housebuilding, by raising the cost of a key construction material.
But not to worry, there are still ways in which Britain leads the world. Our national debt is growing faster than any country in the world – except Botswana. Maybe under Andy Burnham we can make a bid to claim the top spot.
Below you’ll find all the latest pieces from CapX, plus what we’re reading from around the web.
Marc Sidwell
Editor, CapX
Today’s Takes
Fresh thinking from CapX
Is Andy Burnham a Nimby?
James Ball
‘He does seem to have three very different housing policies, which in places are diametrically opposed to one another.’
For this week’s ‘Nimby Watch’, we’re off to Winstanley, in the historical county of Lancashire, where Andy Burnham is contesting the Makerfield by-election. It seems the Mayor of Greater Manchester has pulled quite the U-turn when it comes to housing policy. Despite having successfully overseen the building of lots of ‘luxury’ flats in the Cottonopolis, he now seems to have changed his tune. Read More
The Left has lied to you about Sweden
Nima Sanandaji
‘Thanks to free markets, Sweden even rebounded rapidly from the Great Depression.’
The Left would have you believe that Sweden is a socialist utopia. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Home to the world’s first central bank and the first company with shares, the lesson to be drawn from Sweden’s experience is that sound institutions, limited taxation and free markets create progress. Read More
Stat of the Day
The CapX Reading List
The best of the web today
Let's celebrate profit, not apologise for it
Luke Johnson, The Daily Telegraph 🔒
‘Humans respond to incentives, and the profit motive is a powerful one.’
The Confederation of British Industry has accused Labour of ‘turning profit into a dirty word’. But profit isn’t a dirty word. In fact it is an absolutely essential element of what makes society function. Without profit, there would be no industry, no investment, no growth, no innovation and no progress. Read More
When the state gets in the way, it's us who pays
Oliver Dean, ConservativeHome
‘It does not matter what “pro-business” platitudes they peddle, nor what shade of red they may wear – if Labour can tax it, they will.’
‘This Government isn’t going to sit aside from the businesses we are backing,’ Business Secretary Peter Kyle told The Times this week. Greater state intervention in the economy is neither what the British public want nor what they need. Since Labour came into office, business and enterprise have been strangled at every opportunity, and unemployment has crept upwards. When will this Government learn? Read More
What on Earth is Thomas Piketty talking about?
Noah Smith, Noahpinion
The Capitalist
In this week’s episode of the CapX podcast, economists Soumaya Keynes and Chad Bown join Marc Sidwell to discuss the new world of economic conflict, why tariffs are like a party drug – and how trade wars can still spiral out of control.
And if you want more...
– The West isn’t ready for modern war (Lowy Institute)
– The hidden histories behind everyday abundance (Virginia Postrel🎙️)
– The race to save the world’s rarest tree (Phys.org)
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We'll be back on Sunday with the Weekly Briefing.