The City

I’m a Chinese property investor… get me out of here!

Inflation is slowing, but prices are still rising In China, prices are outright falling! The Germans have tied their energy transition in constitutional knots Inflation…

Finding middle ground with John Butler

John Butler and I have had our scrapes. After all, John, Southbank Investment Research’s investment director, is something of a sceptic when it comes to clean tech and net zero, while you’d be hard-pressed to find a bigger advocate of green energy than myself.

The Americans who can explain Europe’s economic doldrums

The media is busy debating why the US’ economic recovery from Covid continues to leave Europe’s in the dust. But they’re all ignoring the crucial factor: population growth…

It’s all about the money… which is shrinking

A shrinking money supply points to a recession ahead This could impact the UK and much of the world Politicians remain focused on net zero…

Stranger in a Strange Land

Science fiction established itself as a distinct literary genre in the 20th century, with Robert Heinlein being one of the leading exponents. In the decades since, many writers have explored the idea of artificial intelligence, or AI. Now that such technology is becoming a reality, governments are seeking to control it. Elon Musk, on the other hand, is unleashing it. Do you grok?

It’s time for green dream believers to fall off their high horse with me

Doing the right thing shouldn’t be defined by “What about China?” What if net zero policies increase global emissions? Ethics is a thorny question for…

The energy transition’s next Tavistock moment

Energy storage is another reason the energy transition will fail Civilisations are defined by their ability to store energy cheaply Energy storage investments will boom…

If the bond market crashes in silence, has it crashed at all?

The bond market has crashed horrifically The consequences are barely making themselves felt A reminder that investment mantras are eventually disproven (Your browser might be…

Rishi is not Margaret, whatever he says

• The Conservative Party Conference was full of hot air • The Bank of England turns lukewarm on Brexit • The Republican Party adds to…

Sunak’s backtracks

Political backtracking is not at all unusual The prime minister has done much as of late Net zero and energy policies are in flux all…

Immigration or inflation? Your choice…

Immigration is spiking and voters are angry Politicians are increasingly offering an anti-migration option Why less immigration means more inflation in a debt-filled world I…

Can Sunak turn the net zero Titanic?

Sunak pulls the reins on net zero 2024 will be the year of record mortgage resets PPIs are signalling deflation The iceberg that is net…

Equal pay for equal incompetence?

Several local councils are facing effective bankruptcy Various reasons are given, but mismanagement is common to all If anything is to improve, there must be…

Uncertainty costs investors money

Uncertainty can be good or bad Net zero is the bad sort The price of net zero isn’t showing up in the stock market No…

What’s the point of arguing if we can’t even count?

Immigration, GDP, emissions and housing figures were all wrong How can you debate if you can’t count? Stick to Megan Markle Political and social debate…

Cowperthwaite’s revenge on the Office for National Statistics

How did Hong Kong get so rich? Is the mortgage market crashing? Will the Bank of England go too far… again? Never mind Singapore-on-Thames, we…

How net zero was snuck in behind your back

Politicians had to be “systematically dishonest” to pass net zero A small group of activists staged a coup in 2019 The more impossible net zero…

Why the public has turned on net zero

We got a taste of net zero… and spat it out Energy defines your standard of living and net zero constrains both Could an honest…

The Energy Transition Delusion, with Mark Mills

The world is not transitioning away from fossil fuels Trillions spent on green energy won’t save us from carbon What we have learned from the…

Back to school (and deeper into debt)

UK university fees and financing costs are the highest on record Recent reports show many non-degree professions pay better than most university courses Young people…