It has been a year of protest, elections and Brexit delays. Throughout, Spotlight, the New Statesman‘s policy supplement, has tackled major issues – from climate change to the housing crisis. As 2019 comes to a close, we have curated a selection of our favourite Leaders from the year. These editorials raise key questions: Is reshoring the answer for the UK economy? Are UK homes big enough? And why do people assume that tech experts are infallible?
Should parliament move to the North?: By the middle of the next decade, 650 MPs, their advisors and support staff will need to move out of the Palace of Westminster because, among other maintenance issues, it catches fire six times a year. Read the Leader from our Northern Powerhouse supplement.
The costs of qualification: If people were paid according to the difficulty of their work the economy, and the qualifications needed to take part in it, would look very different. Read the Leader from our Skills and Apprenticeships supplement.
A new and dangerous power: Artificial intelligence is no longer simply a Hollywood script idea. Read the Leader from our Cyber Security supplement.
The danger of the Black Box: It is already the case that engineers and researchers are unable to explain the ways in which the AI algorithms they’ve created reach the conclusions that they do. Read the Leader from our Artificial Intelligence supplement.
Britain’s homes are shrinking: The housing crisis is forcing generations of people to adjust their expectations downwards and settle for less. Read the Leader from our Housing supplement.
Is reshoring always good?: In a time of approaching economic turbulence, the UK should ensure industries and their workers are regulated and protected. Read the Leader from our Manufacturing supplement.
Even tech experts are only human: Human fallibility is at the heart of many cyber security breaches. The most sophisticated technology is vulnerable to the shortcomings of those who use it. Read the Leader from our Cyber Security supplement.
Green politics at the ballot box: In the 2019 campaigns the environment has been touted as a priority by major parties. But they are overlooking key policies that could save the planet. Read the Leader from our Energy and Climate Change supplement.
For access to our supplements, click here.
Related
