Beyond the West
Rethinking our approach to development: the alternative path offered by microfinance, social bonds, and a search for innovative solutions. The roots of modern microfinance can be traced back to the 1970s, when Nobel Prize winner Muhammad Yunus began experimenting with small-scale lending to poor households in rural Bangladesh. His
The Market
Is Britain's most valuable industry also one of its most damaging? In 2025, Britain's financial sector contributed £290 billion to the country's real GDP, marking roughly 11% of total output. It employs over a million people directly and in 2024 achieved a record trade
Ideas Lab
Currently, the UK is on the edge of one of the biggest democratic shifts in the UK since the 1969 Representation of the People Act. The government is now pushing forward the Representation of the People Bill to lower the national voting age to 16. For many years the idea
The Market
The economics behind the world’s largest sporting event, and what this tells us about who the winners and losers really are. Every four years, the World Cup casts its bright stadium lights across the globe once again. Sweepstake teams are drawn, brand-new shirts are bought, national flags reappear
In a world of polarised political views and the existential rise of populism, we are becoming a more divided society, with increasing risks of politically motivated violence. Recent cases have involved the murder of David Amess, Conservative MP, in 2021 and Jo Cox, Labour MP, in 2016, and their brutal
The Perspective
Somewhere right now, a 14-year-old girl is being pulled out of school. Maybe her family needs help at home. Maybe the nearest secondary school is too far, or too expensive, or her parents simply don’t see the point of educating a daughter who will “just get married
The Forum
Front runner for the position of prime minister, Andy Burnham has made the headlines recently for his proposition of a “Number 10 North”, which would see a branch of the Prime Minister’s Office based in Manchester. He promises “a more streamlined state with a clearer purpose” and a “laser-
The Perspective
Imagine this. One day, a child comes up to you and asks why? Swamped with your other several dozen responsibilities (like finding the last of the clean water not yet seized by technocrats and AI data centres), they decide to change course and ask their hyper individualised, always friendly best
The Forum
It is clear to see that Generation Z is becoming increasingly vocal within the political landscape. With recent political developments in Westminster, many young people are more concerned than ever about ensuring their voices are heard. In the past, teenagers were often perceived as being less politically or economically informed,
Female perspectives on economics, politics and global affairs
“Smart Tech is making War a Dumber Choice.” This provocative headline from last week’s Economist highlights a profound truth: the nature of modern warfare has been fundamentally transformed. There are two critical developments behind this. First is the advancement in drone technology. Versatile capability at a minimal price tag
In 1897, British soldiers marched into Benin City, in what is now southern Nigeria, and burned it to the ground. Before they did, they looted thousands of bronze sculptures so detailed that European experts refused to believe Africans had made them. Two centuries earlier, Dutch visitors had compared the city’
While not much has been announced regarding Burnham’s potential policies as Prime Minister, he has laid out his ‘Head North’ plan for a more equal Britain in his 2024 book ‘Head North’, which was co-written between Burnham and Liverpool City Region’s Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram. Much of
How artificial intelligence is redefining policing in London and the challenge of preserving policing by consent. As a new technological revolution takes hold, we are forced to confront the question: just because we have the capability, should we use it? Artificial intelligence has already reshaped how we communicate, how we
Europe is already heading towards its hottest summer on record, and it's only July. Heatwaves have become more frequent, intense and prolonged across the continent. As the temperature in Saarbrücken reached 41 degrees celsius, the number of deaths in the water have risen dramatically. At home, Britain faced
Loneliness- we all experience it. In fact in 2025, almost one quarter of all British adults reported feeling lonely sometimes, often or even always [1]. Governments continue to treat loneliness as a personal health problem- rather than a political one, but is loneliness and isolation the secret factor, beginning to
Introduction Traditionally markets have operated under the assumption that identical prices will be offered to all consumers for identical products regardless of data collected on that consumer. However developments in artificial intelligence and increase in actionable data held by firms has allowed the start of prices tailored to consumers. Personalised
