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24 Nov 2023
The Autumn Statement: What Happened and What It Means
The Autumn Statement is an opportunity for the Government to implement fiscal policy changes to reflect their objectives, and respond to economic conditions. This year, inflation-driven wage growth has caused fiscal drag by pushing millions of workers into higher tax brackets, which left the Treasury with £25 billion of extra revenue. As such, cuts to tax rates appealing to the traditional Conservative base were always on the cards for this year’s autumn statement.
15 Nov 2023
The King’s Speech: A Strategic Analysis of the King's Speech and Its Impact on Business
With Parliament open, the announcements made in the King’s Speech will begin to make their way through the legislative process. The bills headed to Parliament will have direct impacts on businesses across all areas of the economy. The King’s Speech demonstrated the opportunities legislation can provide, with regulatory frameworks to support new industries, investment in renewable energy, and licences for oil and gas. However, as the tobacco industry will attest, there are also risks that new legislation could restrict businesses.
Source: Politico
2 Nov 2023
November Report on Accountability and Responsibility
British politics has arguably been at its most volatile point since the Second Word War. From unprecedented churn in our Prime Ministers, to economic shocks leading to multi-decade record highs in inflation and the cost of living, political developments in the UK have shaped businesses and individuals in a profound way. This report makes an important contribution in analysing some of the events that are shaping Britain’s political direction.
20 Oct 2023
Starmer’s Plan for Businesses Explained
Closing out this year’s Labour Party Conference, Leader of the Opposition Keir Starmer set out his idea of what a Labour government would look like. Whereas his predecessor, Jeremy Corbyn, was most enthused by businesses when talking about nationalisation, Starmer set a rather different tone.
Source: Sky News
29 Sept 2023
September Report on Global LGBTQIA+ Rights
It is with great pleasure that we introduce this first issue of Polis Analysis Youth Affairs Report which shines a light on one of the most dynamic social justice movements, LGBTQIA+ rights. This report delves into the progress, challenges, and legal developments with a special focus on Uganda, Taiwan, India, and the United States.
27 Sept 2023
Rishi Sunak backtracks on net zero
UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced on Wednesday a backtracking on a number of the UK’s current net zero policies. Although reiterating that he remains committed to the legally binding target of net zero by 2050, he has scrapped and delayed a number of initiatives that were intended to help the UK reach the target.
Source: The Telegraph
11 Sept 2023
Labour’s reshuffle explained
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer revamped his frontbench on Monday, in a reshuffle ahead of an annual party conference in October, fine-tuning his team for what is likely to be the final time ahead of the next general election. The reshuffle has seen promotions for the likes of Hilary Benn and Liz Kendall, with notable demotions for Lisa Nandy and Jonathan Ashworth.
23 Aug 2023
PM Sunak Plans to Authorise Oil Drilling in the North Sea
UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced his plans to grant over 100 licences across the coast of Scotland to undertake oil and gas drilling, and simultaneously unveiled two new locations for Carbon Capture Usage and Storage (CCUS) clusters in North East Scotland and the Humber.
Source: The National News UK
23 Aug 2023
Montana Sued by Youth Activists Over its Climate Change Culpability
On August 14, the US saw a landmark ruling for climate change law. Led by young activists, the case saw the state of Montana sued for its promotion of fossil fuel use, marking the first time in US history that a youth-led climate case has gone to trial, as 14 previous youth-led cases were dismissed (as per the UN Environmental Programme Report).
Source: The Independent
22 Aug 2023
Surveillance Tech Can Help Save Endangered Species
Biologging, the practice of attaching devices to animals to collect scientific data, has been developing at an accelerated speed over the last 5 years. Now, scientists can use GPS-tracking devices to track an animal’s movement, migration patterns, food habits and much more.
Source: Wahyudi/AFP/Getty Images via Rest of World
22 Aug 2023
Whatsapp Voice Notes Revolutionise Farming in Senegal
In a country where nearly half of the population cannot read or write, WhatsApp's voice notes function has evolved into an essential tool for Senegalese farmers to collaborate and access information in local languages, thereby enhancing their agricultural practices and crop yields.
Source: Daniel Zender/Rest of World
3 Apr 2023
Daily Briefing: The Banking Crisis and Crypto Companies
From Silicon Valley Bank (SVB), Silvergate, Signature Bank in the US to Credit Suisse in Switzerland, the banking crisis in recent weeks has led to the collapse and acquisition of multiple banks. This has implications far beyond traditional finance.
13 Mar 2023
Daily Briefing: European Reshoring of Lithium Refineries
If Europe wants to build a value chain for batteries, lithium refineries are an important part. So far, almost all industrialised nations are dependent on China for the processing of the raw material. That, though, is increasingly changing. Let us take a closer look.
27 Feb 2023
Daily Briefing: Finnish Homelessness Policy
On the first delegation trip of the Ministry of Construction to Finland, Germany’s Federal Minister, Klara Geywitz (Social Democrats), explored solutions to one of the most pressing social policy issues in Germany and across the globe: homelessness and the affordability of housing. In Finland, it has long been agreed that housing is a fundamental right. Let us take a closer look at Finnish housing and anti-homelessness policies, and what they could mean for other countries.
20 Feb 2023
Daily Briefing: New Cypriot President Elected
Cyprus’ former Minister of Foreign Affairs Nikos Christodoulides has been elected the new president of the European Union member state. He won almost 52% of the vote in the runoff election against the Left candidate Andreas Mavroyiannis, who previously served as the Permanent Representative of the Republic of Cyprus to the United Nations.