Luke's Columns

The greatest generator of rising living standards is the powerful combination of science and entrepreneurship. This can deliver innovation and technological advances, which lead to material progress. Be it electric cars, medical discoveries, communication devices or improving crop yields, the commercialisation of inventions is what tends to make society…

It can be argued that virtually all the government’s responses to the coronavirus have been inadequate, from the testing fiasco to the failure to swiftly close our borders to infected arrivals (in contrast to countries such as Australia), the shambles of the track-and-trace plans, the disaster of transferring infected…

I am sick to death of friends telling me they have enjoyed the lockdown. They have invariably been cocooned in their country retreats, able to work comfortably from home, taking plenty of exercise and seeing lots of family amid their rural bliss. They speak of London — their usual…

As the lockdown eases, what lessons can we draw from the Covid-19 crisis? First, we should never allow a mass shutdown again. Apart from anything, we cannot afford it: the government will be lucky to borrow the money spent bailing out the economy, taking our national debt above £2…

Dear Boris, This is not the economy you were expecting when you won the election in December. Then, unemployment was less than 4%, a multi-decade low. By the end of this year, it could be three times that level, or perhaps worse: some pessimists are forecasting five million unemployed…

So the rebuilding begins. The total lost output from lockdowns globally is forecast to be about $9 trillion (£7.2 trillion) over 2020 and 2021. Given such epic damage to economies, there is no time to be lost. The recovery must start right now. Despite the dreams of those who…

For good or ill, the broadcast news agenda in this country is dominated by the public sector. Politicians, civil servants, academics, doctors, union bosses and other figures from the state and non-profit sector constitute the vast majority of voices one hears on the Today programme, Newsnight, Question Time and…

Life is a risky enterprise that always ends badly. But if we allow fear to crowd out living, existence becomes pointless. I’m concerned that Covid-19 — and, in particular, the authorities’ reaction to it — is undermining our reasons for being on Earth. I’m fortunate because I did a…

The coronavirus crisis is likely to mark a defining moment in the relationship between commercial landlords and their tenants. Historically, in this crowded country, property owners have held the upper hand, and their dysfunctional connection with tenants has resembled a master/servant arrangement. For example, no other supplier of a…

What is a reputation worth? These desperate times are providing interesting case studies. I know about reputational damage because the Patisserie Valerie fraud in 2018 did mine much harm. A prominent example is Sir Richard Branson and his Virgin brand. He has asked for £500m from the government to…