Great Britain?: How We Get Our Future Back

by Torsten Bell

There are few who are better placed to investigate Britain’s plight than Torsten Bell, Chief Executive of the Resolution Foundation. In Great Britain? he offers both a clear-eyed diagnosis of the problems facing our country – a uniquely toxic combination of huge inequality and stagnant economic growth – and a hopeful, bold vision for the alternative.

This treasure trove of enlightening and original analysis argues that our era of chaos and cynicism needs neither utopianism nor nostalgia, but a practical patriotism to raise living standards and create a more equal country. Torsten Bell passionately points us towards a Britain that we can actually build – a future worth fighting for.

Genres: Politics, Nonfiction, Economics, Audiobook, Society, British Literature, History

304 pages, Hardcover

First published June 13, 2024

Reviews

[Satya · Rating 5 out of 5]

The ‘great’ in Great Britain originally meant that we were the largest island in the north-western peninsula.

The British Empire and two world wars promoted the idea of British ‘greatness’.

Is Britain still great? The people? Yes. The country? No.

What happened? Bell argues that Britain today is defined by the dual problem of the inequality of the 1980s and the stagnation of the 2010s.

The 8 points increase in the gini coefficient in the 1980s mean that Britain is the most unequal country in Europe. Furthermore, the 4 terms of Tory government has taken a sledgehammer to public investment. As a result, the UK’s productivity deficit compared with a combined average of France, Germany, and the US has doubled to 18 percent from 2008.

How bad is the situation? Very. For example, real wages are at 2008 levels. This is unprecedented: the 1810s was the last period in which real wages stagnated and did so consistently.

Although other countries have also seen their growth decelerate and inequality increase, this is not to same extent as Britain. For example, 1 in 5 Britains skip meals because of financial constraints. This is 2.6 percent in Portugal (a much poorer country) and 8 percent average in the OECD. Britain does not need to be world beating but more normal.

What is the solution? Wealth taxes? Abolishing Universal Credit? Rejoining the EU? Bell is a reformer not an ideologue, however. Annual wealth taxes are hard to collect and difficult politically. He argues that we should rather collect the wealth taxes we already collect better. Benefit systems are ‘complex beasts’; we should focus on making the system work. Furthermore, rejoining the EU is not a ‘magic bullet’ but closer economic ties are needed.

2024 is not 1997. 14 years of conservative government and three once in a lifetime shocks have caused enormous damage to the economy. A decade of national renewal is needed.

[Imaduddin Ahmed · Rating 4 out of 5]

There's a lot this book gets right. Reforms on stamp duty, implementation of existing tax and labour laws, a need for greater investment in housing stock, infrastructure and skills to increase UK labour productivity. Notes how important it is for employers to train employees, and how schools have never fully prepared the workforce. Also notes how lifting the cap on two child benefit would be one of the most effective interventions at tackling child poverty. Unfortunate that in his first chance to vote to end it as MP, the author did not.

The author took it for granted that growth is a prerequisite for prosperity. Simply pointing to a previous era of stagnation in the UK does not foo-foo the argument that degrowth results in lack of prosperity, when prosperity for all was never the intention of the Tory government. Would have liked to have seen some research and analysis on how stagnation in Japan has impacted prosperity and inequality there.

Would have liked to have heard much more about how we achieve prosperity and reduce inequality - two of the author's chief aims - within planetary boundaries, and for him to have spent more time explaining his vision for growth that aligned with decarbonisation. Would have liked the author to have considered the wider role that Britain has to play in ensuring broader offsetting that goes beyond current territorial net zero, given Britain's outsized impact as the first and largest colonial and industrial power on the poorest populations outside of the UK through the climate crisis.

Am now listening to Will Hutton's This Time No Mistakes. His first chapter is very aligned with this book, but a lot easier listening, since it isn't inundated with statistics. Great Britain? is one you'll want to read and earmark, because it's founded on years of research and analysis by an ex UK Treasury civil servant and then CEO of a respected think tank focused on improving the living standards for those on low to middle incomes.

[Gerard W · Rating 5 out of 5]

An insightful, fact-based assessment of the economic woes of the UK, and some realistic solutions on how we can begin to address them. One of the most eloquent explanations on inequality in the UK I’ve ever read, and the policy failures that make it worse. Torsten offers a masterclass in welding economic statistics .

Unfortunately I was unable to get a physical copy in the U.S. yet and so listened to the audiobook, which whilst well read and engaging, meant I missed out on the data and charts that would have emphasized some of the points.

With his pragmatic and data-driven approach to policy, I look forward to seeing what he brings to parliament when he inevitably gets elected next month. Even if it is disappointing he got parachuted into a safe seat he has no connection too…

[Samuel Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another book that reinforces what a sorry state out country is in

[Jacob Stelling · Rating 5 out of 5]

An easy 5 stars for me, offering such fascinating perspectives on the decline of Britain’s economy and society over the last few decades, and how despite the rhetoric we hear, it has been mostly caused by political choices.

After diagnosing the issues - notably housing, pensions, wages and generational divides - Bell goes on to offer evidence-driven solutions, all whilst maintaining an easy to follow writing style and an optimistic attitude towards the future.

The section on investment particularly chimed with me, and investing in the future was largely the theme which underpinned the entire book, offering concrete suggestions which hopefully our new government will be in a position to implement.

Overall a must-read for all of us feeling the malaise about Britain’s future and hoping for a better tomorrow.

[Martin Rogers · Rating 3 out of 5]

Surprisingly readable at first. Before too long it then starts to feel like you're under attack from a fact machine gun. Feels a bit like showing off to be honest.
Once you get to a certain age you've seen the lefty think tank author's book a fair bit. I'm sure this is worthy, and probably pretty good. I get the feeling sometimes that the employers and businesses might want more say in all the regulations and taxes being put on them by the author. I find the rhetorical device of 'some people on the right say/some people on the far left say...' to get a bit tiring. Yes, there are nutters on social media. Don't indulge them.
But overall the bloke's heart is clearly in the right place, he knows lots of stuff, and he's trying to do something rather than just talking on the sidelines, so fair play to him

[Aled · Rating 4 out of 5]

essential reading for anyone interested in the possibilities of a new Labour government, from one of their freshest and most intelligent new MPs. Abandons political and economic dogma for practical ideas on how to re-shape the UK economy. what are its faults ? in its logical approach, sometimes it is quick to dismiss emotional and moral arguments, for example in its quick dissection of arguments against gentrification, which perhaps required more nuance. Nevertheless, this is an intelligent, well researched book full of actionable and clear solutions, at a time the country is crying out for change. we are very lucky to have this guy as an MP, and I have a feeling the sky is the limit as far as his political career is concerned (future chancellor u heard it here first)

[Joshua Hill · Rating 4 out of 5]

A solid insight into the Labour party’s current thinking, and could be read as the Factfulness version of their manifesto. It provides solid insights into lack of wage growth and inequality in modern Britain. What would improve Torsten’s already robust arguments backed by a wealth of data, is an in-depth discussion on immigration. Migration is talked about, but I would say this is where the Achilles sits as it doesn’t clearly address this. It’s such a wide ranging book and wonder why this hasn’t been picked up as much… great read.

[Ben Rowe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid and accessible economic argument on how to "fix" the country. A good amount of common sense.

[Sadaf · Rating 4 out of 5]

Covers an extensive range of issues; gives prescient warnings of necessary solutions.

Narrative around ‘new patriotism’ could be explained in more depth.

[Ieuan Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Refreshing - love Torsten and I’m glad he’s moved back into politics. Reads well too.

[Peter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Had very high hopes for this book … we need a positive political agenda. This is close but not as co-ordinated as we need … just a list of good policies rather than a manifesto. Good start though!

[Joseph Hill · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nothing new

[Yusuf Karmali · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent analysis of the problem Britain finds itself in with a number of common sense solutions. I am hoping that being a minister in the new Labour government means some of these ideas get a fair read out.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s a good summary of the current state of the UK, full to the brim of statistics. Particularly enjoyed section on housing.

[Georgia Leatherdale Gilholy · Rating 2 out of 5]

A mile wide & an inch deep.

[YW · Rating 5 out of 5]

A friend once told me she didn’t like non-fiction on politics or economics because in most cases, those books could be 20-page papers.

Great Britain? is a delightful exception. I struggle to find a single redundant sentence. Every word provides some crucial insights on the problems of or the solutions to our political economy. Every page provides elaborate policy responses to a salient issue. Torsten Bell manages to weave these separate sections into a cohesive narrative and an enjoyable read. Truly the best-written politics book I have read so far this year.

Beyond the writing, the book is unparalleled in its relevance. Almost single issue in it has been brought up in public discourse and in the new labour government. They have either become Labour policies (planning reform, national investment, etc.) or early challenges to the government (two-child benefit cap, capital gain tax hikes, etc.). Whether Torsten Bell and Resolution Foundation compelled these issues into public light or merely predicted their rise, I am not sure. I would guess a combination of the two. What I do know is that Torsten Bell will be a fascinating new MP to follow. I hope he holds on to his words in this book in his new political career.

[Elektra Bishop · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book. It’s written from a slightly left of centre perspective, (definitely not a loony left/communist take) and a lot of the solutions Bell proposes seem… sensible. Maybe not as far as I’d like to go, but grounded, practical, and backed up by evidence. He was “just” an economist when he wrote it, but now he’s an MP, so it’ll be interesting to see whether and how his views shift with political pressure.

There’s one glaring omission though: how utterly fucked our political system is right now. Bell is optimistic that legislation can solve big problems, and to be fair, he’s seen it work. He uses the example of the minimum wage, something introduced in his lifetime that really did shift the dial. But a lot of his proposals, while excellent on paper, feel like hard work. Massive, messy, unpopular changes. And I just don’t see how they’re going to happen anytime soon, which ironically is the exact mindset he’s arguing against.

The idea that everything is shit now and it will always be like this. His central message is: It doesn’t have to be. And it’s dangerous if we don’t start to change that thinking. He makes the case that Britain doesn’t need to be “great” again. It just needs to be normal. Functioning. Fair. Not flailing in a fog of despair that drives people to vote for fringe parties who should’ve remained the punchlines they are, not ones with seats at the bloody table. But when people lose hope, when they think things are always going to be bad, they’ll take a punt on the ‘different’ option. Bell sees this, and he’s trying to cut through it with real policy instead of panic.

The book is really easy to listen to on Audible. There are stats, but not an overwhelming amount, and Bell narrates it himself with just the right tone. He starts by laying out where we are now, and why. He also challenges a few assumptions, things we think we’re good or bad at, when the reality is more complex. From there, he lays out clear solutions, and tackles the usual reasons people say change won’t work. He doesn’t just present ideas, he builds a case.

On things like housing, infrastructure, and wages, I think he’s bang on. We should have carried on building more homes 45 years ago, instead oof selling them off, but we didn’t. We can’t go back, we don’t have a time machine, just the country we’re stuck with now. But, according to Bell, we could still make it work.

That said, the very loud silence in the book is about political reform. He doesn’t say much about our archaic systems; first past the post, unelected Lords, broken accountability mechanisms. Which is a big oversight, because without reforming how decisions are made, how the hell are we going to get any of these bold ideas through? Still, I’m giving it 4 out of 5 stars. It’s clear, accessible, thoughtful, and realistic without being defeatist. He lays out the arguments and the evidence and tries to stir up the much needed enthusiasm. I’ll be watching closely now he’s in Parliament. Let’s see if he can walk the walk… and if his next book has any answers for the system as a whole.

[Jakub Dovcik · Rating 5 out of 5]

Torsten Bell is a very clever economist and a future Chancellor. This book is a hopeful policy manifesto, although frankly quite depressing to read. It is good that this time around he had better sense and wrote a book,instead of engraving his policy proposals into a piece of stone.

The book is essentially a more accessible version of the 'Ending stagnation: A New Economic Strategy for Britain' report by the Resolution Foundation, of which Bell has been the Chief Executive. So a lot of it focuses on the same areas - improving situation for lower and middle income groups through focus on investment in building housing, transport, general growth of second cities (Birmingham and Manchester) and doubling down on Britain being a services-drivem economy. I really like the aspects of the analysis that look at what the reality actually is, even though bell sometimes falls into some of the dry technocratic streak that runs through the Whitehall tradition.

A lot of the policy recommendations have been present for a while and are agreed upon by the centrist-liberal policy community - like emphasis on motivating councils to boost housing development (essentially continuing early policies of Michael Gove at DLOC, which have been scrapped after NIMBY revolt in parliament, led by Theresa Villiers), consolidation of defined-contribution retirement funds (where he makes an interesting connection, not often present in the public debate, between firm-level manegement and investment decisions and their ownership structures, which have been negatively impacted by a decline of defined-benefit pension plans), equalising de-faxcto income taxes from various types of income or greater taxes on wealth and inheritance.

What the book does well is to connect a good curtrent state analysis of the problems (with a lot of charts, although sometime there is a lot of juggling with the numbers) with the proposed solutions that are interwoven into the text. Most of the book is focused on two things - increasing investment levels (moving the UK from being a 'Stagnation nation' to 'Investment nation') and boosting housing.

Torsten Bell is a member of the establishment, with roots in the Whitehall bubble (his twin brother is a senior civil servant focused on Europe) and thus he does not provide much radicalism in his proposals - neither in the policies themselves nor the operations necessary to implement it. I admit my centrist bias, but I do not think this is a bad thing.

The book is very pragmatic and I would say for the most parts actionable - which is expected, as he was writing this book while navigating his way through the inner jungle of the Labour party in order to get a safe seat. We shall see whether Bell will be able to pursue these ideas and plans as a future MP in the next Labour government.

[Stephen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book came to me highly recommended. I have to say that it didn't disappoint. The aim of the book is to examine why much of Britain isn't currently working as well as it could, and to offer a set of solutions to rectify that situation. The analysis is largely spot on. Britain, led by government, has largely failed to invest in its future for decades. That lack of investment is now coming home to roost - it can explain the low productivity, low wage economy; the poor acquisition of skill sets; the unhealthy state of the nation; and so on. Wherever something isn't quite working properly, a lack of investment is the root cause.

Why is that? We tend to prioritise the immediate over the long term and have become wedded to the notion of immediate gratification. This is now having an impact as we find the long term in the present. For example, we were given the benefit of North Sea energy revenues for decades. What did we do with them? Tax cuts. What did Norway do with theirs? A sovereign wealth fund to provide long term tax cuts. Until that mindset changes, not much progress will be made.

So how can we break this circle? The author focuses on two policies - delivering decent homes and good jobs. The two are linked and, in the view of the author, provide a case for public investment. A significant house building programme to increase the volume of the housing stock and the quality of the housing stock provides a case for public investment. That would entail changing the operation of the planning laws and the creation of incentives to build homes. There is also a case for a direct labour force operated by public bodies. The author sees this as a means to tackle the ill health of the nation.

A publicly primed building programme would also stimulate the economy. Not only would it provide a source of prosperity, if it also didn't entail an influx of overseas labour, it would stimulate the skill base of the UK as employers had to compete for talent. It provides a means to escape the trap of slow growth and poor productivity. If it can kick start a period of improved growth prospects, then other ailings of the economy - such as a low tax base - would automatically improve.

This is rather an optimistic book. It needs to be because the author is now part of the ruling party in the UK and we shall see if he can deliver this vision. I rather think that he might, but perhaps not as much as he hopes. He doesn't give due regard to sheer inertia and institutional atrophy. These are likely to act as a brake upon his ideas. However, he has the right intentions and we have to wish him well. If he can deliver part of his vision, then we will all be better off.

[Stuart Trow · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a tough read. The book was written well before Labour’s landslide election victory, but I read it just ahead of the November 2026 budget.

It’s an important book with worthy aims. However, with the author now a senior figure in government and one of the policy big beasts, it demonstrates the gulf between theory and reality: aspiration and the ability to execute.

As you might expect, the book is heavily slanted towards appeals to fairness, but the incentives which drive economic outcomes are only occasionally addressed and the economic impact of such a rapid and general rise in taxation on growth is not treated with any seriousness.

Investment is sorely needed, but neither this book, nor the government, has articulated how this is to be achieved. Coercion and the crusade of moral certainty come far ahead of making Britain an easy and attractive place to invest.

The problems associated with selling national assets are well made and nowhere has this been more felt than in housing. Yet the policy mix here is symptomatic of a broader ambivalence towards investment. After an initial wave of optimism, thousands of houses are standing empty because housing associations lack the funds to take them on. Not surprisingly housing starts and completions are slowing, but the most catastrophic change is that the future pipeline has all but completely dried up. Projects receiving planning permission have dropped to a level not seen since records began 50 years ago and that’s even with councils approving a greater proportion of applications presented to them.

On welfare, the author rightly highlights two key reforms required to make the system both fairer and more effective, yet neither has come close to making it to statute. The first being that claimants are heavily incentivised to seek to be declared unfit for work in order to receive an adequate level of support. This effectively embeds what might be a temporary period of economic inactivity. The second is that some young parents effectively lose up to 75p in benefit for every additional pound earned, underlining the failure to understand at all levels that work must pay.

Ultimately this book is an appeal to sentiment and today sounds entitled in the context of the ongoing failure to differentiate between general government expenditure and genuine investment in Britain and its people.

[Deebs · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of Britain’s smartest minds exploring what has been going wrong in the UK, and how to go about fixing it.

We are truly in a dire state, left behind by comparable countries like France, the Netherlands, Germany, Canada, and Australia. Bell argues that the collapse of our economy came in two stages: the increased inequality that started in the 1980s and has grown ever since, and the stagnation of the 2010s.

The result is a country divided along various lines, but the divide between boomers and younger generations is one of the starkest. The failure to address wealth and income inequalities has led to a rising belief that politics and policy is a zero-sum game, explaining the rise in populism.

Fortunately, Bell has solutions that are well thought through. Investment is central to his vision, we have fewer houses per person than almost anywhere comparable, our hospitals and schools are falling apart, but also our businesses have stopped investing, explaining why productivity and accordingly wages have barely grown since 2008. Alongside investment, Bell wants to see the tax system reformed and simplified, arguing that policymakers have been too scared of raising taxes and benefits are at dangerously low levels.

I think this is a necessary read for anyone who wants to contribute to rebuilding the country. Bell doesn’t beat around the bush, the situation is dire, but with optimism, drive, and a willingness to make tough decisions, there’s no reason we can’t become comparable to our neighbours once again. Indeed, the average British household would be £8,300 better off if we caught up with the average of the countries mentioned above.

I think what this lacks is more of a clear menu of policy asks. The demands are many, scattered over several chapters, and not always clearly defined. Perhaps Bell is afraid of a book becoming a manifesto, but I think this would make the argument even stronger.

[Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

A pragmatic but forward-thinking look at the problems modern Britain faces and potential solutions to solve it's maladies. Bell promotes what he calls "incremental radicalism", and offers workable ideas to try and set a declining nation back on track.

A critique may be to go for the lack of depth in policy proposals but as a general overview Bell is right on track. There is a Social Democratic bias tinged throughout the book. Those who opposed such an outlook might not appreciate what it is trying to do, but there are plenty of facts to support the main thesis which are hard to deny.

The main issues hitting us hard are housing, real wages stagnating, the use and abuse of zero hours contracts (not for the majority but for a fair number of people), crumbling public services. Bell doesn't merely propose tax rises, in fact in some areas taxes can be relaxed, shifted or abolished. Many middle incomes are squeezed and the poor invariably end up paying a higher burden relative to their wealth, whereas the super wealthy tend to get off a lot better. That said Bell states that equality and growth need not be enemies, as opposed to the dinosaur small c conservative view. A fairer moor equal society will be better for all people including the well off.

The current Labour government is floundering but if they trusted the impulses of this book and implemented all rather than just a handful, whilst staying away from culture war drivel, they could keep the populist waves at sea. The clock is ticking.

[Dale · Rating 4 out of 5]

Between this and 'Get In', I've been reading a lot that's making me question what Bell would term my 'ideologue' beliefs.

What I like about this book is that all of the issues are approached from the perspective of wanting to make the country more prosperous AND equal, and there is a real commitment to this. Lots of time is taken for discussion on making work and benefits work for the poorest in society, and this is all great as far as I can tell because I don't know too much about these areas.

The housing section is also good on detail, but that's where I began to question more of what I was hearing. There's a lot of talk about bringing prices 'down' if we build more, which doesn't seem accurate to me, although I am very influenced by Josh Ryan-Collins' work here, which I maybe need to revisit.

Bell sometimes takes a passing shot at various ideologies that he disparages. I feel like he should have either gone into more detail on these critiques, or left them out entirely, because I came away thinking that his views were half baked or betrayed by a misunderstanding of the topics (see section on Degrowth).

Regardless, it was refreshing in a time where the Labour leadership seem so light on detail of specific policy proposals to read a book that's almost entirely that from a cabinet minister.

Final thing: Torsten Bell does not have a great voice for an audiobook and I don't think he should have read this.

[Leon Spence · Rating 5 out of 5]

A brilliantly concise diagnosis of, and prescription for, the challenge that Britain faces today.

With both quantitative and qualitative evidence the author expertly analyses challenges from wealth inequality, the devastating shortage of housing, regenerating our cities and public investment. As a reader of the centre right, Bell's manifesto is more than persuasive.

Of course, now as a junior minister in the Labour government, there is an issue between the measures he believes are needed and the compromise required for the demands of collective responsibility. Mr Bell writes critically of the Conservative government (quite correctly) in their retail political desire to maintain the pensions triple lock, where now as an elected politician he supports its retention (he certainly wouldn't be a junior minister for long if he argued for its abolition).

But, pragmatic politics aside (heaven forebid it could be called hypocrisy) the book is outstanding. It has certainly convinced me of the need to get rid of the two child welfare cap, and most important (if briefly) sets out an optimisic plan for the future.

Bell ends the book arguing "Talk of being 'world beating' is a distraction from what we really need to be: more normal." He is right, and admirably sets out his argument for it.

[William Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

As part of the new Labour intake, I braced myself for a milk toast status-quo attack with shavings of anti-Tory talking points. While the start of Great Britain? very much lived up to such anticipations, there are some interesting and well-developed policy gems. Bell succinctly diagnosis how the Britain is suffering from chronic public under-investment, disproportionate economic inequality, anaemic productivity, and an unbalanced tax system. Unlike other works of UK political commentary, Bell actually proposes specific, well-reasoned, and moderate solutions. Great Britain? will leave the reader feeling slightly more hopeful that current British malaise does have a reinvigorating medicine: capital gains treat as realised income, unemployment insurance, removing the two-child limit on child tax credits, disempowering the treasury, making select committee leadership as reputable and beneficial as ministerial positions, stamp duty cuts... Bell has plenty of ideas. Whether the UK political scene will ever see these policy reforms remains to be seen. However, at least the reader can be somewhat comforted that there are at least some backbenchers that may bring the change we all desperately crave.

[Andrew Pratley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Britain as we all know has in economic terms being going nowhere for well over a decade. When the money is not there a lot things can't get done that needs doing from fixing pot holes to reducing child poverty. Reading this book gives me more than a little hope that there is a way out of this stasis.

Torsten Bell could one day be Chancellor. Many of his ideas, hopefully, will implemented by the current holder of the post. Now that he is a minister he will be able affect policy in a more direct way. His twin brother Olaf has very recently joined other civil service brains in No 10 & will also get his opportunity to make an impact as well.

The book is packed with many good ideas & concrete proposals as what to do about our current malaise. Once you go through the book it is clear there is much to do. There is nothing pie in the sky about what is proposed. Instead his ideas are both realistic & eminently doable given some time. I and the author would describe them as forming a program for radical incremental change in which measures & policy prescriptions build on one other.

The book is full of fascinating data & is altogether a very stimulating read.

[Ian Humphries · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm not sure what this book sets out to achieve. It is full of facts, that if you follow the dates, point overwhelmingly to the problems of the country starting to appear from 1997 onwards. Now, of course Torsten isn't going to tell you that because he's part of the same team (Labour) that set us onto this downward slope, so instead he comes up with new ways to fix the mess which you can believe or not, but he never once considers perhaps reversing some of the bad decisions that led us to where we are. Which is just bad politics.

And the cherry on the cake of this confused message was this quote “70 per cent of the UK’s productivity gap with the US was closed between 1970 and 2001.” I wonder what happened there? He even goes on to quote Thatcher:

“Let me give you my vision: a man’s right to work as he will, to spend what he earns, to own property, to have the State as servant and not master — these are the British inheritance. They are the essence of a free country and on that freedom all our other freedoms depend.”

In trying to convince me that collectivism and high taxes are the way forward, Torsten has managed to convince me of the exact opposite.

[David Goll · Rating 3 out of 5]

Helpful, number-dense summary of UK centre-left policy orthodoxy. Torsten is among the new intake of Labour MPs and is currently PPS to Pat McFadden. Most of the recommendations turned up in the Labour manifesto or are very current in policy debates in Whitehall. I found it pretty convincing throughout but too scattershot to be truly insightful. Each of housing, tax and benefits, labour markets, and investment get around 30 pages - enough space to establish a thesis and propose a couple of policy solutions, but not long enough to really get into the weeds or the politics. And in some areas you really do need to get into the politics! More housebuilding, increased private sector investment, better vocational training - these have all been goals of every government since at least 2010. Unless you really engage with why the planning system has got worse rather than better, despite repeated pledges to reform it, then I'm not sure you are adding much value at this stage.

[Edward · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s a reasonable analysis of modern Britain’s economic plight, very evidence driven and fair, but not a compelling argument overall.

Bell identifies starts by identifying inequality and low growth as the toxic combination affecting Britain. Definitely true on the latter but we don’t get much on productivity as the driver of this. Not convincing on inequality, although at least he recognises it has been flat in both income and wealth for decades. But hard to argue it’s part of some new toxicity.

He’s better on housing, investment, and the need for ‘a new patriotism’ - very good - and rightly shoots down ideas from the left like UBI as much as he attacks the right.

Ultimately the challenge is you feel the solutions he offers don’t form a sum of their parts which is up to making the level of impact that is needed. He self describes as being in favour of incrementalism - but how isn’t that the approach of Sunak, Starmer, and maybe more to come?