All articles by Steve Norris
-
InsightNormality is still a long way off
All the good news about vaccines has led to most of us looking at the rest of this year and wondering how long the lockdown can last and when life can get back to some semblance of normality.
-
Insight
Tories need to fight for London
One of the intriguing aspects of the 2019 general election was the Conservatives winning seats they hadn’t won for nigh on a century.
-
Insight
Johnson’s days are numbered
So we go from lockdown to… lockdown. Unless you live in Cornwall or the Isle of Wight, in which case – lucky you.
-
-
Insight
Can everyone please get a grip?
Apparently more people are worried that we are not taking enough precautions to protect ourselves from Covid-19 than want to get the economy moving again. In which case, I fear that — not for the first time — I shall be in a minority.
-
Insight
Planning reform may sow dissent
There’s no doubt Boris Johnson wants to do something to stimulate housing numbers, for which he deserves some credit. The question of course is whether the recent slew of announcements is likely to survive any longer than most government decisions these days, when U-turns appear to be the order of ...
-
News
Property needs clear leadership
I’ve voted Conservative all my life largely because I don’t believe governments run things well – quite the opposite; most nationalised industries were effectively bankrupt before they were privatised.
-
-
Insight
A temporary stop to traffic could kick-start Soho’s recovery
For some time, I have argued that the corona cure is worse than the disease. To keep overweight septuagenarians like me alive, the next generation is paying an awfully high price. And closer to home, the damage to our economy is utterly unimaginable.
-
Insight
It’s time to take tough decisions
It’s not good out there. However much we enjoy not having to dress up for work or sniff armpits on a crowded train, the fact is Zoom is no substitute for face-to-face meetings.
-
Online
Covid-19 pandemic poses the ultimate arbitrage
We are living through the most devastating period in modern history. The damage caused to our economy and society by the 2008 financial crash pales into insignificance by comparison.
-
News
Ruling against third Heathrow runway sets dangerous precedent
You might expect me to be pleased at the recent Appeal Court ruling that the government had wrongly given Heathrow’s third runway the go ahead, given that I never believed it made economic or environmental sense.
-
Insight
No. 10: who stays and who goes?
When Stephen Barclay, the secretary of state at the Department for Exiting the European Union, resigned at 23:01 hours on 31 January as his department wound itself up, he started the reshuffle Boris made clear would follow once we had formally left the EU.
-
Insight
Tory victory signals big changes
So after all that, we have a government with a decent majority and a pretty clear objective – to get Brexit done and to level some of the gross inequality that still exists between London and the home counties and the rest of the country.
-
Insight
May the finger-biting now be over
By the time you read this I hope you’ll have done your duty and voted.
-
-
Insight
Owning a home no longer sacred
I bought my first flat in Notting Hill in 1969 for £11,500. I daren’t think what it’s worth today, but it will be more like £1.5m.
-
Insight
Get this Brexit mess over with
Honestly? I haven’t a clue. I can’t think of anything else to say to the steady stream of enquirers including several MP friends who ask: what on earth is going on in our politics and more to the point where is it all going to lead?
-
Insight
Expect an election by Christmas
Not much happens in politics in August. The few decent political programmes go off air and we indulge in what is known in the trade as the silly season – when the aftermath of Love Island is more prominent in public discourse than global warming.
-
Insight
Bluster alone will not be enough
If you voted for Boris, you’ve certainly had your money’s worth so far.
