James Close

Time for top-line growth, by James Close

9 February 2011 | James Close

The coalition has set out its spending plans – in corporate terms, what it plans to do on expenditure.  Now ministers must focus on economic growth – to grow the economy’s ‘top line’ or revenue.  This challenge needs to occupy hearts and minds up and down Whitehall. Read more...

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Green for go? By James Close

16 December 2010 | James Close

As usual, our parliamentarians and civil servants have marked the final week before the Christmas recess with a frenetic bout of legislative activity. Monday’s Localism Bill, Tuesday’s draft Cabinet Manual, Wednesday’s unemployment figures and today’s Electricity Market Reform green paper have kept the Westminster Village at full stretch – party season or not. And that’s not even including the continuing repercussions surrounding the coalition’s higher education funding reforms. Read more...

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Power struggle, by James Close

15 March 2010 | James Close

Suddenly, the prospect of a Conservative election victory is far from certain. Government ministers and strategists have a bounce in their step not seen since Gordon Brown’s very first months as prime minister. Read more...

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Monitoring the quangos, by James Close

8 February 2010 | James Close

A pledge to scrap a number of education quangos underpinned Nick Clegg’s recent announcement to give every child from a poor home a £2,500 funding boost. Read more...

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Not so wonderful Copenhagen, by James Close

16 December 2009 | James Close

As I write, negotiations at the UN climate summit in Copenhagen have been suspended after developing countries withdrew their co-operation. Read more...

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A storm is coming, by James Close

27 October 2009 | James Close

‘This is no time for a novice.’ Gordon Brown’s jibe at Davids Cameron and Miliband at last year’s Labour conference was surely one of the better lines of his premiership. Read more...

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Asset idealism, by James Close

7 October 2009 | James Close

The shadow of the government’s projected budget deficit of £175bn has loomed large over all three of this year’s party conferences. Read more...

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