Via Motorcycle Live gets the royal touch: His Royal Highness Prince William Duke of Cambridge visited Motorcycle Live at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham today to get a close look at the UK motorcycle industry and some of the new models that have been launched for 2014. The Duke, who […]
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Book review: The Problem of Political Authority
Earlier in the year, I had a wonderful conversation on the doorstep with a lady who, like so many members of the public, despairs at the conduct of all politicians. I asked if she had followed my own actions and could give me a personal example. The truth was, as […]
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The Four Horsemen, Russell Brand and the biggest problem with democracy
I found time this morning to watch the film Four Horsemen. It’s about what’s fundamentally wrong with the world and it features some major thinkers from Britain and the world. I feel fairly sure many of them did not know that the central point of the film is to explain […]
Read MoreWhat makes us prosperous? The 2013 Prosperity Index supplies a survey
This morning, after spotting Allister Heath’s boldly optimistic article for the Telegraph, I chaired the Parliamentary launch of the 2013 Legatum Prosperity Index. It’s not enough to consider quality of life by material things alone: Gross Domestic Product neglects great swathes of factors which make life worth living. As the […]
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Book review: Milton Friedman by Eamonn Butler
I usually romp through Eamonn Butler’s books and Milton Friedman: A concise guide to the ideas and influence of the free-market economist was no exception. The book sets out how Friedman became a public intellectual of worldwide influence, how to end financial crises and how to cure inflation. People, trade […]
Read MorePut patients in charge of the NHS
Shortly before the 1911 National Insurance Act – the Act which practically destroyed the friendly societies and inaugurated the welfare state – the magazine of the Oddfellows carried this: Working men are awakening to the fact that this is a subtle attempt to take from the class to which they belong […]
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Counter-terrorism powers are too vulnerable to abuse
I recall vividly the day when a police officer – not one serving in Wycombe – told me of his disgust at a superior’s easy resort to counter-terrorism powers against people not suspected of terrorism. Now the police have taken that resort against a Guardian journalist’s partner, we have a […]
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Constituency surgeries and the need for general rules
When I hold a constituency surgery, someone will usually ask me to set aside rules which are producing outcomes that cause them real problems. Thankfully, I can’t do it and I would not want to despite my desire to help. In travelling as a politician, particularly to Pakistan and Equatorial […]
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LearnLiberty: Why Do Politicians All Sound the Same?
Via LearnLiberty, In a two-party, majority rule system, moving toward the center is not likely to alienate the voters on the ends because they feel there is not another viable candidate to vote for instead. This means, there really isn’t any penalty for a candidate chooses to move toward the […]
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How conscientious consumers can combat global poverty with a cup of coffee
Via LearnLiberty: See also Fair Trade Without the Froth: When it comes to the purchase of everyday goods such as coffee, tea and sugar, most consumers believe that sellers of Fair Trade products occupy the high moral ground. Despite its strong statements, however, the claims of the Fair Trade movement […]
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