James Wright
Southampton
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Articles by James Wright
The cost of your food shopping could go up when demand is high
The Bank of England has warned that supermarkets across the UK could bring in surge pricing to extract more profit from people’s need to eat. Supermarkets may be planning to increase the amount shoppers pay for food when demand is high, which is already the situation for people using corporations like Amazon and Uber. Computerised displays could pave the way for price hikes in supermarkets like Morrisons, which will soon have these price labels in all 497 of its stores.
Private NHS providers made £1.6bn profit in just two years
The government has been continuing the Tory, Lib Dem and New Labour agenda of increased NHS privatisation. And after nearly two years in power, private providers of NHS services have made £1.6bn in profit. The research The Centre for Health and the Public Interest analysed £12bn worth of contracts, which it emphasised are not all of the NHS’ private provision.
The winners of Farage’s energy bill prize look oddly familiar…
People on social media have noticed that the winners of Nigel Farage’s energy bill prize are the same people pictured with the Reform leader at a Brexit party rally in 2019: Left: Nigel Farage and Robert Jenrick meet the winners of Reform UK’s competition to have your energy paid for the whole year Right: Here are the two winners with Nigel Farage at a Brexit Party rally in Fylde on the 4th May 2019 Credits to @linfitlass @donmcgowan for putting… pic.twitter.com/k5gZblNK5U — Farrukh...
The 0.1% have hidden more wealth in offshore tax havens than half of humanity own
Research by Oxfam shows that globally the 0.1% have hidden more untaxed wealth offshore than the amount owned by half of humanity. Offshore tax havens The super rich 0.1% have £2.68trn hidden in accounts registered abroad, while the 0.01% hold half of that amount. For context, the amount is almost the size of the entire UK economy and is more than twice the GDP of the 44 least developed countries.
Rachel Reeves celebrations of Labour’s ‘achievements’ fall flat
Chancellor Rachel Reeves has taken to social media to celebrate Labour’s so-called achievements. Rachel Reeves, are these meant to be wins? Reeves said: Minimum wage rising. State pension increasing. Two child limit abolished. Child poverty falling. Rights at work strengthened. Labour promised change. We are delivering change. These policies are a shambles and miss the reality of an extremely economically unequal society.
The least Miliband could do is stand against new North Sea oil drilling
Energy secretary Ed Miliband is facing renewed pressure to enable new privatised oil drilling in the North Sea. But the right-wing press appears to have jumped the gun in reporting that he is poised to license such climate-destroying activity. And prime minister Keir Starmer has said the decision lies with Miliband.
Top economist schools Labour on public-private partnerships, rather than corporate handouts
Mariana Mazzucato, professor at UCL, has shown how Labour should be less willing to simply hand out public money to corporations. Instead, she says that subsidies and grants should come with a guarantee of public benefit. ‘Conditionalities’ — types of public benefit There are various possibilities for making the most out of public money when it comes to partnering with the private sector. Mazzucato outlines them in four categories.
‘Labour’ bows down to JP Morgan’s money strike, while telling the doctors’ worker strike to get f*cked
Banking giant JP Morgan has gone on a capital strike (withholding investment). Following this, Labour has been quick to offer an 100% discount on the bank’s business rates, spread out over “a period of years”. At the same time, doctors have been on a workers’ strike for pay restoration and job security. It appears that, when it comes to workers, Labour suddenly find the will to say no. The Capital party? If ‘Labour’ rebranded as ‘Capital’, we probably wouldn’t consider it an April Fool’s Day joke.
If you want the Green Party to succeed, you need to show up
The Green Party conference passed a motion opposing energy nationalisation with just 0.2% of members voting for that. If progressives want the Greens to succeed they need to show up and do their part. Obviously some people are working hard but they could get a better long-term deal on that if they engaged with democratic process. Idolisation is not enough It’s not enough to leave it to Zack Polanski to solve issues.
US pharma giant makes a fool of Starmer, demands more NHS cash
It was only December last year when Labour bent over for Donald Trump and Big Pharma, giving companies a 25% pay increase for NHS drugs. It’s now March and these companies are already coming back for more. Give us cash, or else US firm Eli Lilly is demanding further rises in costs for the NHS. Not just another large increase, but regular ones. The president of the company’s international business has said the company is in discussions with Labour ministers about such payments.
London has the highest levels of child poverty in the UK
It’s obvious why London has the highest level of child poverty in the UK. Newly published data has revealed that it is one of the most economically unequal places in the country. London poverty Poverty levels are high in the capital, with a reported 38% of children living in relative poverty compared to 27% in the rest of the UK. Across the North West and the Midlands, 32% of children live in poverty. In the North East the figure is closer to 30%, while in the South East it is the lowest at 21%.
New left think tank finds a ‘Doge of the left’ could save at least £31bn per year
Verdant, a new think tank of the left, is set to end the myth that efficiency savings are only a right-wing issue. In its first report, the think tank, headed by a former adviser to Labour shadow chancellor John McDonnell and a civil society campaigner, found at least £30.9bn in potential savings. The myth of the right It’s not actually true that the right are good with efficiency savings. The corporate-aligned right view public spending as a cash cow to be milked at every corner.
Wes Streeting accepts £55,000 donation from private healthcare recruiter
Labour health secretary Wes Streeting has taken another £55,000 from the ODP Group Ltd—which provides headhunting services to the NHS and private healthcare providers. The firm’s owner, Peter Hearn, has longstanding links to private healthcare. The donation Millionaire recruitment mogul Hearn is the ultimate controller of the ODP Group. In addition to overseeing senior NHS recruitment, Hearn also works on recruitment for private healthcare providers.
Labour’s answer to the energy crisis? Corporate welfare
Labour’s answer to the energy crisis, spurred on by the war on Iran, is to subsidise the profits of fossil fuel companies. According to the Times, only households on benefits will receive the money that helps prop up energy companies. Instead, Labour should bring energy into public ownership, while transitioning to a Green New Deal to address not only the climate crisis, but volatile international markets and sky high costs, in one fell swoop.
While worker pay and UK growth stagnates, the corporate oligarchy has skyrocketed by 20% in a year
Financial Times Stock Exchange 100 Index — otherwise known as FTSE 100—shows that the share value of the top 100 UK companies has leapt by 20% in a year. Meanwhile, overall UK growth has stagnated at 1.3% in 2025 and real terms worker pay is largely lower than in 2008. Economic inequality The FTSE 100 is a corporate oligarchy because it’s largely remained the same over the past decade. Only an average of 125 companies have rotated in and out of the FTSE 100 over this period.
US billionaire claims ‘deep thinking’ only goes back 400 years
Billionaire Marc Andreessen has claimed that “introspection” is of little value and only goes back 400 years. He also said he engages in “zero” or “as little as possible” deep thinking, noting that: I find that people who dwell on the past, get stuck the past. Ever heard of philosophy? Andreessen, a Silicon Valley Venture Capitalist, made the comments on the Founders podcast: Billionaire Marc Andreessen says he has “zero” introspection, and that the idea itself is a modern invention.
Man’s electric bill drops 71% after he installs solar panels
A stock market investor took to social media to share the vast benefits of renewable energy, namely solar panels. His electric bill dropped 71% in the week that began on 10 March compared to the same time last year. He is likely to save even more as fossil fuel prices surge because of the war on Iran, given gas largely sets the price of energy bills. Two weeks ago we had solar panels and a battery fitted. We have just completed our first full week with the system.
Zack Polanski delivers his first major economic speech
Green party leader Zack Polanski delivered his first economic speech to the New Economics Foundation on 19 March. Polanski’s diagnosis of the issues with the UK were privatisation, deregulation and the excesses of the rentier class. His solutions included nationalisation of water, rent controls and wealth taxes. Zack Polanski — End ‘rip off Britain’ He began by highlighting the ‘extreme economic inequality’ in the UK: We live in Rip Off Britain. Sky high bills, stagnating wages – extreme inequality.
The PM’s cost of living policies aren’t just piecemeal – they’re dire
In a speech outside Downing Street this week, Keir Starmer spoke about his cost of living policies. The thing is, his remarks take the phrase a ‘band aid for a bullet wound’ to new heights. Nearly all of these policies are reheated. They had already been announced. Cost of living policies explained The energy price cap until June — an attempt to shield Britons from volatile international energy prices — was announced in February.
With River Island closing 32 stores, the high street continues to fall – maybe that’s a good thing?
In 2026, High Street chains are continuing to close due to a lack of consumer spending power and the move to online shopping. River Island plans to shut 32 of its stores this year. And there were 30% less High Street stores in 2024 then there were in 2014. But maybe that’s a good thing? Arts venues, independent outlets and community spaces could replace Big Brand consumerism, turning the centrepiece of towns from dull shopping centres to vibrant creative development.
Water company says it can’t provide water for new homes after wasting 100 million litres every single day
South East Water has said it cannot provide water for new homes planned in the area it’s supposed to provide for. Yet in 2024 it wasted more than 100 million litres of water every day through its creaking pipes. South East Water put profit over infrastructure The water company has spent significantly more servicing its debt and paying shareholder dividends than it has on upgrading infrastructure.
Richard Tice claims the ‘establishment is trying to smear’ his multi-million pound property empire
Deputy leader of Reform Richard Tice has claimed that reports his property empire avoided almost £600,000 in tax is “a desperate Establishment trying to smear” him. Of course, exploiting rent from people’s need for housing with net property assets of over £30 million is entirely anti-establishment and doesn’t epitomise the housing crisis the country is facing. Tice chats shit According to the Times, Tice channelled shareholder dividends into an offshore trust and dormant businesses.
Skewed figures in Rachel Reeves spring forecast show why neoliberalism is collapsing
Chancellor Rachel Reeves has delivered the Office for Budget Responsibility’s (OBR) forecasts for the economy. While it predicts annual real household income growth of 0.6%, this figure is skewed by high earners. The actual economic outlook shows why the ideology of neoliberalism (austerity, privatisation and deregulation) is collapsing.
Gas prices just leapt by 50% in a day – we need a new Green Deal now!
UK gas prices have leapt by 50% in a day after QatarEnergy stopped production following attacks on its facilities. This underscores the need for a publicly owned Green New Deal to end the UK’s reliance on global markets, address spiralling climate change and lower energy prices. No-brainer If the Labour government brought solar panels to just 1% of the UK, it would meet the entire country’s energy needs.
Food bank use 'essential' for UK student population
Holly Dougan, a student, told the BBC that food bank use is now ‘essential’ for many students. Meanwhile, the wealth accumulated by the richest 50 households exceeds that of the bottom 50 percent of the country. Crippling consequences The cost of living crisis and lack of student funding – both a consequence of economic inequality – have crippled students and driven greater reliance on food banks.
Faiza Shaheen nails why people voted for hope in Gorton and Denton
Inequality economist Faiza Shaheen has summed up why people chose hope in the Gorton and Denton by-election. The Green’s Hannah Spencer won by a mile in the Manchester constituency by-election. “Represent” the people On social media, Shaheen said: Greens came from nowhere to win in one of the safest Labour seats in the country.
AstraZeneca boss receives ridiculous pay
The boss of pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca’s pay rose to £17.7 million in 2025. That’s after Keir Starmer’s administration bent over for Donald Trump and Big Pharma in December last year, accepting a 25% increase in pricing for NHS drugs. AstraZeneca— Extracting wealth from people’s healthcare Unsurprisingly, AstraZeneca CEO Pascal Soriot welcomed the increased NHS costs in February. He called them a “very positive step”, suggesting he wants to milk even more from the NHS.
New Gorton and Denton by-election poll has the Greens in first place
New polling in the Gorton and Denton constituency for the incoming by-election has the Greens three points ahead of Reform. The Zack Polanski-led party is on 20%. Meanwhile, Labour trails on 15%. Green win would be historic The constituency battle marks a further move away from the two party system. As has already happened in countries like France, the traditional two parties are becoming sidelined by up and coming outfits. But supporters of the Greens shouldn’t be complacent.
With unemployment rising, no wonder 82% of Brits support a Job Guarantee
The rate of people not in employment in the UK has risen further to 5.2%, according to new figures published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS). With that in mind, it’s clear why 82% of the UK supports an economic package that includes a Job Guarantee, polling from the Lancet shows. These new figures highlight the ongoing issue of UK unemployment. Unemployment rises to its highest level yet Labour’s unemployment crisis is impacting young people the most.
Just £25 quid left per week — the cost of living crisis is worth than we thought
The neoliberal system leaves 40 percent of Britons with less than £25 at the end of each week, a survey by the Cost of Living Action (COLA) group has found. This is pittance and unlikely to stretch far under the cost of living crisis, where even employed people are finding themselves out of pocket. Manufactured cost of living crisis Privatised essentials like energy and extractive supermarket chains are driving the cost of living crisis.
Ellie Chowns wins applause on BBC QT, exposing Reform UK immigration myths
Green MP Ellie Chowns challenged the thrust of Reform’s entire game on BBC Question Time. “It’s inequality” Chowns took apart the notion that immigration is to blame for the UK’s woes: Reform UK, before it was the Brexit Party, before when it was UKIP, has been busy for many years fermenting this idea that immigration is the problem in this country. It’s completely untrue. Inequality is the problem in this country.
Voting Labour just handed Reform a council by-election win in a "warning" for Gorton and Denton
Throughout social media, people are warning that a Reform victory in a council by-election is a lesson for the parliamentary by-election in Gorton and Denton. The results? Reform win. Reform won in Fletton and Woodston with 29.4% of the vote. The Greens narrowly came second on 27.6%. Meanwhile, Labour were fourth on 16.8%. Many social media users are pointing out that Labour has split the vote here.
Matt Goodwin claims young men are flocking to Reform
Reform’s candidate for the parliamentary seat of Gorton and Denton, Matt Goodwin, claimed on social media: One of the untold stories in British politics right now is Reform’s very strong support among young men. But people swiftly pointed out that the favoured party among young men is actually the Greens, according to YouGov. The facts vs Matt Goodwin For young men, Green support is at 30%, and Labour support is at 21%.
Polanksi delivers single-word take down of Starmer’s broken mandate
On social media, Green party leader Zack Polanski used a single word to tear apart Keir Starmer’s ‘I’m not resigning because I’m noble‘ shtick. Polanski: “Mandates…” Mandates…. https://t.co/GaJxZPf8xL pic.twitter.com/rNZeUQBubE— Zack Polanski (@ZackPolanski) February 10, 2026 Indeed, Starmer was elected Labour leader on a mandate to carry out policies that party members support.
78% of the UK supports rent controls. But why control a scam when you can abolish it?
YouGov polling from February 2026 shows 78% of the UK public support rent controls. But why regulate a scam when you can get rid of it? That’s what the Green Party is proposing. The Green Party position The Green Party has rent nailed in their “Abolish Landlords” policy, which was successfully voted on at their conference in 2025. The motion read: The Private Rental Sector has failed, it is a vehicle for wealth extraction, funnelling money from Renters to the Landlord Class.
Almost every council is about to go bankrupt while private schools rake in over £8bn from SEND children
Council leaders have warned that four in five local councils will soon face ‘bankruptcy’ from rising special educational needs and disability (SEND) costs. And private schools are compounding the issue. Tens of billions to private schools The approaching ‘insolvency’ is largely due to the amount private schools are charging for council budgets. In 2024, SEND pupils were at private schools – a 70% increase on 2016.
Feargal Sharkey exposes dire state of water companies AGAIN
Campaigner and singer Feargal Sharkey has, once again, dressed down the privatised water companies. Water companies: taking the p*ss On social media, Sharkey said: You’ll want to be sitting down for this bit.
Farage's anti-immigration policy would sink the UK economy
Nigel Farage’s anti-immigration policies are reprehensible racism. And, they’re completely unviable for the economy. Dr Benjamin Caswell, a senior economist at National Institute of Economic and Social Research (NIESR), has said: Net zero migration leaves the economy 3.6% smaller by 2040 and this reflects slower employment growth and a smaller workforce. Farage would tank the economy The vast majority of people coming to the UK are studying or working, or their dependants.
Union leader blasts private firms exploiting foster care for profit
Founder of the National Union of Professional Foster Carers, Robin Findlay, has called out private equity ownership of foster care services in the UK. Shameless profiteering According to the Observer, Findlay said: Private equity is looking at this as a goldmine that should be tapped into and it’s bleeding the sector of money… on the back of vulnerable children.
Kuenssberg tries to trip up Polanski on legalising drugs, but he smoothly obliterates her
The BBC‘s Laura Kuenssberg interviewed Green party leader Zack Polanski. The Greens have a policy to legalise, regulate, and use a public health approach to drugs.
Wes Streeting admits that Labour austerity is taking the NHS to the brink
During a speech at the Institute for Government’s annual conference, health secretary Wes Streeting admitted that Labour austerity, branded as ‘efficiency savings’, is having an impact on care: There are some parts of the service that have oversteered and therefore are underdelivering on elective activity In context, Streeting means the Labour cuts are going too far. But that’s quite the understatement. Age Concern warned in October 2025 that corridor care had increased by 525-fold since 2015/16.
UK supermarkets hide record profits behind rising living costs
The British Retail Consortium (BRC), a trade association for businesses like supermarkets, has blamed energy costs and tax rises for the fact food prices have increased by 37% over the past five years. But this obscures the truth — that of supermarkets rapidly growing profits, in line with the surge in food prices. Greedflation Lidl’s operating profit rose by 297%, from £79 million in 2021 to £314 million in 2025.
Labour next to useless as people in "very deep poverty" reaches highest level ever
Keir Starmer’s Labour government is doing very little to address the cost of living and low wage crisis. Analysis from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) shows the number of people living in “very deep poverty” in the UK reached 6.8 million in 2023/24. That’s the highest level, both absolutely and proportionately, since accounting began in 1994/95. “Very deep poverty” means they have an average income that is 59% below the poverty line. Labour u-turn on child benefits As ever, Labour did U-turn.
Automated delivery vehicles are already on the ground in the UK
Uber Eats and Starship Technologies have partnered to launch automated food deliveries in the UK. Rolling out in Leeds as of December 2025, robots will deliver takeaways and groceries. The automation company, Starship Technologies, touts that the deliveries “work profitably at city scale”. There’s no doubt about that. When labour is removed from the equation, the only costs are maintenance and energy.
Green victory a possibility in Gorton and Denton after Labour's Burnham bungling
Labour’s ruling National Executive Committee (NEC) has banned Andy Burnham from attempting to become the Labour candidate for the late February Gorton and Denton by-election in Manchester. But while that stops a potential Burnham leadership challenge against Keir Starmer, it may bring about a Green victory in the seat.
Zack Polanski is right about student loan crisis
Zack Polanski and the Green party are right: university should be free. It is beneficial for all of society to have citizens educated to a higher level. Wealth taxes could help rebalance the economy towards education. Zack Polanski: ‘outrageous’ In 2024, Polanski said: University should be a right and not a privilege, and I thinks it’s outrageous that we have tuition fees at all, never mind them going up and up and up.
32 firms are producing half the world's CO2 emissions — let that sink
In 2024, a cadre of 32 fossil fuel companies had been producing half the world’s CO2 emissions, a new study has found. Of course, people are consuming that CO2 via those companies. But energy is a daily essential. The climate crisis requires systemic change in the form of a publicly owned Green New Deal, to facilitate the transition towards zero carbon. These companies could ditch such environmentally-destroying production and fully invest in renewables, but they’re not.
Reeves woos Davos elite with UK corporate handouts
Chancellor Rachel Reeves sought to woo big business at Davos on 20 December. She pointed to a £5bn investment in science and research talent to help boost the UK development and innovation. While the UK should be investing in tech and science, this is essentially a corporate handout because the government is not taking a stake in the companies it’s investing in. This leaves UK citizens paying twice: once to publicly fund the research ,and a second time to foot the bill for a privatised product.
The Greens just made major gains on Reform in latest Westminster poll
Zack Polanski’s Greens are closing the gap on Reform UK, led by Nigel Farage, as shown in the latest YouGov voting intention poll — achieving major gains. Greens up, Reform down Reform’s lead is down two points, standing at 24% for two consecutive weeks. Meanwhile, the Greens are up three points to 17%. This means the Polanski-led party is now just seven points behind Farage’s faction. At the same time, the Conservatives stand at 18%, Labour at 19% and the Lib Dems are trailing on 14%.
Economists blast Rachel Reeves for ushering in a repeat of the 2008 financial crisis
Economists David Aikman (director of the National Institute for Economic and Social Research) and John Vickers (University of Oxford) have blasted chancellor Rachel Reeves for her deregulation of the big banks. Rachel Reeves slammed Aikman and Vickers note that the Bank of England (BoE) should be increasing protections, not loosening them: Since the last major review of capital settings in 2015, economic and financial risk has clearly increased.
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