Disaster of Brexit is a warning against simple solutions to hard problems | Richard Partington

The disaster of Brexit is a warning against simple solutions to hard problems As we approach the 10th anniversary of the Brexit vote (where did the time go?!) My column in today’s @theguardian.com on the issues with easy-sounding solutions to complex problems: www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

Labour plans welfare shake-up as scale of youth jobs crisis revealed - our front page story today after the launch of the Milburn review interim report: www.theguardian.com/business/202...

Today in Focus: The Latest 'Lost generation’: why can’t young people get jobs - the latest Good to join our daily podcast (with the added mild trauma of video on one of the hottest days of the year 🥵) on Alan Milburn’s review of Britain’s youth jobs crisis - www.theguardian.com/news/video/2...

Labour poised for fresh welfare changes after scale of youth jobs crisis revealed www.theguardian.com/business/202...

Six in 10 Neets have never had a job, says Alan Milburn, as he warns of ‘generational faultline’ – UK politics live www.theguardian.com/politics/liv...

UK risks £125bn hit a year from youth unemployment, landmark report says www.theguardian.com/business/202...

Number of young people out of work or training in UK could hit 1.25m by early 2030s - landmark Milburn report warns today www.theguardian.com/money/2026/m...

Labour appears to be gearing up for another attempt at disability benefit reform... Alan Milburn tells me there is a "catastrophic systems failure" in tackling youth unemployment, and urges Labour to overhaul benefits - ahead of his landmark report this week: www.theguardian.com/society/2026...

At least 15m Britons not saving enough to retire, Pensions Commission says www.theguardian.com/money/2026/m...

Andy Burnham has always faced a narrow path to replace Starmer: a tricky byelection, leadership contest that is yet to be declared, and a far from constructive bond market backdrop. On the latter, he is dancing on a pin to soothe a City audience. My analysis: www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

IMF urges UK to ‘stay the course’ on plan to cut borrowing levels amid Starmer uncertainty and a prospective leadership challenge www.theguardian.com/business/202...

‘There’s a risk of another Liz Truss moment’: City raises spectre of bond market meltdown again - a key backdrop to any leadership contest: www.theguardian.com/business/202...

Reeves says ‘if economy ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ - as fight to keep her job goes on - my analysis on today’s GDP figures: www.theguardian.com/business/202...

Labour must offer more than ‘better managed decline’ on economy, influential Tribune group MPs urge www.theguardian.com/business/202...

Who calls the shots on the bin collections in Sunderland is not normally of interest to City traders. This week’s UK local elections are different… ‘There is a good deal of fear’: what would a Labour leadership challenge mean for bond markets? www.theguardian.com/business/202...

Dynamic pay on platforms such as Uber should be banned, says @tuc.org.uk www.theguardian.com/business/202...

Tony Blair’s thinktank urges Labour to scrap ‘unaffordable’ pension triple lock www.theguardian.com/money/2026/m...

UK faces £35bn hit and risk of recession this year over impact of Iran war, thinktank warns www.theguardian.com/business/202...

UK has wealthy Europe’s ‘third-highest’ rate of young adults not in work or study www.theguardian.com/money/2026/a...

UK inflation rises to 3.3% amid soaring fuel prices driven by Iran war www.theguardian.com/business/202...

‘It’s a twilight zone’: Iran war casts deep shadows over IMF gathering in Washington My end of week read on an IMF and World Bank spring meetings - taking place two blocks from the White House against the backdrop of war: www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

Central bank bosses enlist for ‘war game’ in Washington to gauge threat of Lehman-style bust www.theguardian.com/business/202...

Exclusive: Cuts to overseas aid will worsen shocks to global economy, David Miliband says www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

Reeves steps up criticism of Trump’s Iran war, branding it a ‘mistake’ - in a marked fraying of the transatlantic relationship - www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

Economic shock from Iran war risks driving up global debt levels, says IMF www.theguardian.com/business/202...

Wednesday's GUARDIAN: Iran conflict could spark recession with Britain hit hardest in G7 - IMF #TomorrowsPapersToday

The Iran war is bad news for the global economy. But for some countries, it is having a bigger impact than for others - and the UK is the biggest G7 loser. My analysis: Reeves arrives at IMF with little leeway to prove its UK downgrade wrong www.theguardian.com/business/202...

Iran war escalation could trigger global recession, IMF warns -- Growth forecasts cut for US and global economy, while UK suffers sharpest downgrade in G7. www.theguardian.com/business/202...

UK growth forecasts slashed by IMF as Iran war hurts global economy – business live www.theguardian.com/business/liv...

New: Iran war escalation could trigger global recession, IMF warns www.theguardian.com/business/202...

Good morning from Washington DC. I’m at the IMF and World Bank Spring Meetings for the release today of its World Economic Outlook - all against the backdrop of the Iran war Task for the week: limit the fallout from biggest oil shock in decades www.theguardian.com/business/202...

Head of IMF says Iran war will permanently scar global economy even if peace is reached www.theguardian.com/business/202...

Down at Threadneedle Street for a hawkish hold - Bank of England holds interest rates at 3.75% as Iran war prompts inflation fears www.theguardian.com/business/202...

‘Nothing off the table’ as Rachel Reeves considers ‘targeted support’ over energy costs www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

You’d be ashamed to bring someone here’: The struggling billionaire-owned high street that shows Reform’s road to No 10 Read @joshhalliday.bsky.social’s incredible interactive tale of Newton Aycliffe. From postwar New Jerusalem to boarded-up shopping desert: www.theguardian.com/society/ng-i...

‘It’s soul destroying watching your local area turning to shit’ Doom loop of decline: how struggling high streets fuel far-right sympathies in UK - my analysis for the series - www.theguardian.com/business/202...

Exc: Farage attack on high street Turkish barber shops is dog-whistle racism, minister says As part of our series on high street decline and the rise of the right: Miatta Fahnbulleh speaks on the Labour response - www.theguardian.com/society/2026...

💡 This is an excellent profile of Warrington by @rjpartington.bsky.social. As @centreforcities.bsky.social says “it’s about taking tough decisions… expansion of business parks… taking chunks out of green belt to build homes” Want to fix the high street? First grow the economy and disposable incomes!

You might call it... The Nation's Most Central Location @warringtonruncorn.com 💃

Warrington is in fact very sexy 😉💅 And we have the highest total economic growth of any city or large town since 2013 (and faster growth in living standards and disposable incomes too), as a model for how the rest of the country can be as sexy as us!

Another reference in an earlier draft, which I sadly couldn’t include! Thanks for the intro to it, Charlotte. Love it - Ballardian stuff.

It's all about location and land. Warrington has benefitted from both from the legacy of the New Town Development Corporation (fun fact: the embryonic NWDA was housed in their old HQ) and OMEGA being the largest brownfield site in the country.

‘Deeply unsexy, but really very well-connected’ 🤣

This one was close to home for me, literally. A feature trip to where I grew up: Warrington is a model town, the @centreforcities.bsky.social says today. If its economic performance was replicated nationwide, the avg UK urban resident would be £3,200 better off: www.theguardian.com/business/202...

New: Labour watering down its sweeping changes to employment rights is expected to slash the cost of the plan for UK businesses by billions of pounds - our story here: www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

A productivity boom, but for who? My column in today’s @theguardian.com on falling employment in low-paying sectors, investment in automation and AI, and Engel’s Pause. Labour must learn lessons from history as automation hits jobs market: www.theguardian.com/business/202...

How many more times will the Bank of England rescue Rachel Reeves? My column in today's @theguardian.com - www.theguardian.com/business/202...

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Our phone lines are open! Call in to this year’s Guardian charity telethon: 020 3353 4368 We’re raising money to support grassroots community charities this year to help tackle the rise of division in society. Do call in 📞 www.theguardian.com/society/2025...