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What can the UK do to grow at 2-3% annually again?

The Tories weren’t able to achieve it and seemingly neither are Labour.

Sustainable growth in the long term relies on increasing business investment, so there are several things that are obvious.

1. Speed up planning. Companies that want to invest money in Britain are, at best, delayed in doing so by a planning process that takes too long.
2. Improve infrastructure - transport, energy, water.
3. Create a stable tax regime - since at least Brown Chancellors have endlessly tinkered with the tax system and a lack of predictability makes it hard for businesses to plan and reduces confidence to invest.
4. Improve education - one of the features of the Irish success in attracting foreign investment is that they orient local education institutions to support employers will the skills that they require. So in an area with lots of pharmaceutical investment the university will have lots of courses to create graduates with the laboratory and process engineering skills the pharmaceutical companies need. Ireland has done a lot more than have a low corporation tax rate to attract foreign investment.
5. Talk to individual businesses and then act on what they tell you. The IDA (Irish Development Agency?) is the single most successful institution in the history of the Irish state (the competition is not great, to be fair). Learn from what they have done.

There are then other things that would also help. I think going after rentier capitalism, so the British economy rewards productive investment over asset-stripping and monopoly rents, would be a net benefit. Improving access to overseas markets, whether the EU single market, or elsewhere, would be good, once other changes have been made so that the British economy could take advantage of that access. I have the impression that capital markets in Britain operate badly for productive businesses, as opposed to financial engineering, but I don't know what would help to change that.

We also need to change the tax system to achieve what we want. So, for example, the cost of capital invested in kit being used in the UK for manufacturing should be given tax relief at in excess of 100%. Training of the UK workforce likewise. Help with cleaning up contaminated sites etc for new production should be improved and include, where appropriate infrastructure spending to make the site more attractive. We have more flexibility in these areas than we did whilst in the EU. Use it.

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How do they find these candidates?

I linked a piece the other day speculating people want more 'human' candidates, but it comes with risks. Even if bizarrely this poll at least says the scandal helps.

It’s not just that they found Platner, it’s that a huge amount of the Dem Establishment has been getting behind him despite all the scandals.

He’s an actual Nazi, with a severe women problem, who went back to Afghanistan as a privateer because he “enjoys killing people”.

That's the MAGA line, certainly.
It might be right and it might be wrong. We'll find out soon enough.

Why would MAGA object to an actual Nazi with a severe women problem?

I suppose it's down to the hyper partisanship in US politics. You don't vote for somebody with the other badge on even if they absolutely share your values.

Then why has Maine repeatedly re-elected Collins ?
And why did the Democratic primary voters utterly reject their popular former governor ?

That explanation doesn't wash.

I was thinking more of the MAGA base. Would any of them vote Dem if the Dem candidate is demonstrably more racist and misogynist than the GOP one? I bet they wouldn't. Badge would trump values.

Maine isn't really a MAGA state.
In the 2024 congressional elections it voted 54.70% to 42.75% for the Democrats.

Collins has very successfully cosplayed as an independent.

Morning all

First, we need to condemn without reservation the mob violence in Belfast last night. It's a strange world where we think two wrongs make a right and whatever happened with the attack which by the way was heinous and, if proven, the perpetrator needs to feel the full weight of the law, doesn't in any way justify or condone forcing people out of their homes and burning said properties.

We know Northern Ireland has a history of "ethnic cleansing" in this manner and it's something with which the authorities need to take control and stop.

A "long hot summer" then it seems with anyone looking at anyone else in a funny way liable to bring the mobs out on the streets for a bit of impromptu street entertainment. That's the way it is now, apparently? People get angry at the slightest thing radicalised no doubt by the misinformation and disinformation on X and elsewhere and out they come thinking somehow, well, what are they thinking?

If I may say so, your last paragraph doesn't really fit with the first one. A decapitation attempt (which you rightly describe as heinous) cannot be categorised as a slight thing.

And speedily dealt with by the police, with the culprit in custody.

So why the pogrom?

Ah come on. A swift arrest is not going to give this man his eyes back.

Obviously the violence is disgraceful (and obviously terrorism, if we’re being consistent with PA), but there is a serious underlying issue here where we our system is regularly importing violent maniacs and rapists, and then is apparent unable to deport them.

Morning all

First, we need to condemn without reservation the mob violence in Belfast last night. It's a strange world where we think two wrongs make a right and whatever happened with the attack which by the way was heinous and, if proven, the perpetrator needs to feel the full weight of the law, doesn't in any way justify or condone forcing people out of their homes and burning said properties.

We know Northern Ireland has a history of "ethnic cleansing" in this manner and it's something with which the authorities need to take control and stop.

A "long hot summer" then it seems with anyone looking at anyone else in a funny way liable to bring the mobs out on the streets for a bit of impromptu street entertainment. That's the way it is now, apparently? People get angry at the slightest thing radicalised no doubt by the misinformation and disinformation on X and elsewhere and out they come thinking somehow, well, what are they thinking?

If I may say so, your last paragraph doesn't really fit with the first one. A decapitation attempt (which you rightly describe as heinous) cannot be categorised as a slight thing.

And speedily dealt with by the police, with the culprit in custody.

So why the pogrom?

Government policy is to put more people like the person who maimed Stephen Ogilvie or the person who murdered Rhiannon Whyte into our communities. They're not just unfortunate random incidents but the predictable consequence of choices made by the state.

The state made Wayne Cousins a law enforcement officer, not once but twice. Bad people are bad people irrespective of ethnicity or occupation.

That's true. Nevertheless the noble far-right aspiration that 100% of violent crime in Britain be committed by proper British born and bred thugs, rapists and murderers cannot be achieved without mass deportations and closing the borders.

More In Common

Reform extend their voting intention lead to 10pts this week, with Labour and the Tories tied for second place. 

➡️ REF UK 30% (+1)
🌹 LAB 20% (-2)
🌳 CON 20% (-1)
🔶 LIB DEM 12% (nc)
🌍 GREEN 11% (+1)
❓OTH 3% (+1)
🟡 SNP 3% (+1)

N = 2,087 | Fieldwork 5-9/6 | Changes w/ 1/6

Looks like Labour will need that Burnham bounce, assuming he wins Makerfield and becomes their leader

The news has all been very Reform friendly over the last week. Harry Nowak, Northern Ireland (a bit late, I guess) and terrible immigration figures of net 100,000 p a if immigration is your thang.

Net immigration is falling

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/clyp1ekd584o

Yes but as Nigel has pointed out it is the wrong kind of net immigration. And anyway the voters think under Labour net immigration has gone through the roof.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/05/21/falling-migration-is-still-a-winning-issue-for-nigel-farage/

I think the voters are very aware that many Labour MPs are very much in the pro immigration camp, anti welfare cuts of any kind, etc etc. Perception is all. I mean for the Tories Kemi has grown into the role but still feels the weight of voter scepticism about the Tories. The PB collective wisdom is far to the left on the big issues. Finally, supporters of Reform see no big problem with Farage and his lifestyle - his big advantage is the lo ack of hypocrisy.

What can the UK do to grow at 2-3% annually again?

The Tories weren’t able to achieve it and seemingly neither are Labour.

Sustainable growth in the long term relies on increasing business investment, so there are several things that are obvious.

1. Speed up planning. Companies that want to invest money in Britain are, at best, delayed in doing so by a planning process that takes too long.
2. Improve infrastructure - transport, energy, water.
3. Create a stable tax regime - since at least Brown Chancellors have endlessly tinkered with the tax system and a lack of predictability makes it hard for businesses to plan and reduces confidence to invest.
4. Improve education - one of the features of the Irish success in attracting foreign investment is that they orient local education institutions to support employers will the skills that they require. So in an area with lots of pharmaceutical investment the university will have lots of courses to create graduates with the laboratory and process engineering skills the pharmaceutical companies need. Ireland has done a lot more than have a low corporation tax rate to attract foreign investment.
5. Talk to individual businesses and then act on what they tell you. The IDA (Irish Development Agency?) is the single most successful institution in the history of the Irish state (the competition is not great, to be fair). Learn from what they have done.

There are then other things that would also help. I think going after rentier capitalism, so the British economy rewards productive investment over asset-stripping and monopoly rents, would be a net benefit. Improving access to overseas markets, whether the EU single market, or elsewhere, would be good, once other changes have been made so that the British economy could take advantage of that access. I have the impression that capital markets in Britain operate badly for productive businesses, as opposed to financial engineering, but I don't know what would help to change that.

Morning all

First, we need to condemn without reservation the mob violence in Belfast last night. It's a strange world where we think two wrongs make a right and whatever happened with the attack which by the way was heinous and, if proven, the perpetrator needs to feel the full weight of the law, doesn't in any way justify or condone forcing people out of their homes and burning said properties.

We know Northern Ireland has a history of "ethnic cleansing" in this manner and it's something with which the authorities need to take control and stop.

A "long hot summer" then it seems with anyone looking at anyone else in a funny way liable to bring the mobs out on the streets for a bit of impromptu street entertainment. That's the way it is now, apparently? People get angry at the slightest thing radicalised no doubt by the misinformation and disinformation on X and elsewhere and out they come thinking somehow, well, what are they thinking?

If I may say so, your last paragraph doesn't really fit with the first one. A decapitation attempt (which you rightly describe as heinous) cannot be categorised as a slight thing.

And speedily dealt with by the police, with the culprit in custody.

So why the pogrom?

Ah come on. A swift arrest is not going to give this man his eyes back.

No arrest ever would, whether it is this man or one of the Shankhill Butchers of the past.

The question is: do we support the rule of law? Or mob violence?

Morning all

First, we need to condemn without reservation the mob violence in Belfast last night. It's a strange world where we think two wrongs make a right and whatever happened with the attack which by the way was heinous and, if proven, the perpetrator needs to feel the full weight of the law, doesn't in any way justify or condone forcing people out of their homes and burning said properties.

We know Northern Ireland has a history of "ethnic cleansing" in this manner and it's something with which the authorities need to take control and stop.

A "long hot summer" then it seems with anyone looking at anyone else in a funny way liable to bring the mobs out on the streets for a bit of impromptu street entertainment. That's the way it is now, apparently? People get angry at the slightest thing radicalised no doubt by the misinformation and disinformation on X and elsewhere and out they come thinking somehow, well, what are they thinking?

If I may say so, your last paragraph doesn't really fit with the first one. A decapitation attempt (which you rightly describe as heinous) cannot be categorised as a slight thing.

And speedily dealt with by the police, with the culprit in custody.

So why the pogrom?

‘Pogrom’ 🙄

Pogrom.

https://www.britannica.com/topic/pogrom

"Authorities" being our next, after next Prime Minister and his followers.

Him and the techbro psychos. And it's galling and humiliating to acknowledge that those who control social media platforms control the world... but there's at least some truth in it.

And over the last couple of decades, we kind of let it happen to us.