A depressing year
16/12/2021
This week Jim looks back on 2021 a rollercoaster year for business and the Prime Minister, whilst abroad there were worrying signs of future conflict.
Two Years On
09/12/2021
This week Jim looks back on the two years since Boris Johnson triumphed in the 2019 general election.
NANDY IN THE RIGHT JOB.
02/12/2021
Jim gives his views on this week’s shake up in Labour’s shadow team as it affects the North. Five Greater Manchester MPs are in the Shadow Cabinet and none from Liverpool as Sir Keir Starmer continues his march to the middle ground.
Does politics affect business investment?
25/11/2021
How much notice do business investors take of the political shenanigins at the Town Hall? Jim previews a lecture next week by distinguished academic Michael Parkinson who will look at Liverpool. A city massively regenerated but with a political system that’s bust.
Rail upgrades in years or decades?
18/11/2021
Labour cries betrayal over government plans for northern rail upgrades. But Jim looks through the fog of acrimony to see that there are some benefits.
The rise of Red Wall Tories
11/11/2021
Are northern Red Wall Tories about to replace the old guard as the MPs with clout in the Conservative Party? Jim poses the question in the aftermath of the Paterson Affair. He also reports on some great ideas for helping state school pupils suggested at a recent Downtown event.
Green jobs chance for North
03/11/2021
The climate change debate is mostly cast in negative terms. In this week’s blog Jim looks at the great employment prospects the green revolution can bring to the North West.
Cheery defiance to the gathering storm
28/10/2021
Jim asks if the Chancellor’s breezy Budget optimism is justified and the difficulty Labour has in opposing a high spending, high taxing government.
Cutting up PM’s credit card
20/10/2021
After Business Bashing Boris,the Chancellor is likely to be more supportive of bosses in next week’s Budget according to Jim as he previews what we can expect from Rishi Sunak on Wednesday.
Loss of reputation
14/10/2021
Jim accuses the government of trashing our international reputation in the row over the Northern Ireland protocol and calls on Brussels to prepare sanctions.
TORY CHALLENGE TO BUSINESS.
07/10/2021
The Tories have thrown down the gauntlet to business over wages, productivity and investment. Jim reports on the Conservative conference in Manchester to get behind the bluster as the storm clouds gather.
Left on way back, but not in UK
30/09/2021
Jim reports from the Labour conference in Brighton and reflects that whilst the Left have triumphed in America and Germany, Labour’s revival in Britain is still not certain.