Alexander Baker

Alexander Baker is a senior researcher at the Prosperity Institute.

Was Starmer ever serious about shrinking the British state?

From our UK edition

A year ago today, the Prime Minister gave a speech on the ‘fundamental reform of the British state’. ‘We don’t want a bigger state, or an intrusive state, an ever-expanding state,’ he declared. ‘We were elected to take on blockers and deliver change, and that is what we’ll do.’ On this momentous anniversary, let us

Sharing our nukes with Germany would be madness

From our UK edition

‘Utter and complete poppycock’: that was Viscount Montgomery of Alamein’s verdict on an US proposal in the 1960s for a multilateral nuclear force crewed by international Nato personnel. Famed for defeating the Nazis in North Africa, Monty didn’t mince his words about that plan. There’s little doubt what he’d make of the quiet resurgence of

Is the UK-EU defence pact a threat to Nato?

From our UK edition

The Nato meeting of defence ministers in Brussels today will give its participants an opportunity to discuss the issues facing the alliance in perhaps a more cordial, if frank, manner before the inevitably more theatrical leaders’ summit in The Hague at the end of the month. Much of the focus will be on proposed defence

Should police have the power to search homes without a warrant?

From our UK edition

It’s back. The government is once again attempting to give the police powers to search homes without a warrant. Buried within the mammoth Crime and Policing Bill that is currently making its way through parliament are a couple of clauses that give the police warrantless powers of entry to search and seize stolen goods. Ministers