Giles Wilkes
Senior Fellow
Giles's recent work
Four things we learned from Rachel Reeves’ Mais lecture
What is the shadow chancellor’s vision for the economy?
'Orthodoxy' is not the issue: the Treasury’s outsized power creates problems for government
Excessive power, rather than ‘orthodox’ thinking, is the main problem with the Treasury.
Treasury ‘orthodoxy’
The Treasury wields too much influence across government and dominates strategic thinking at the centre.
All work
The economic response to the coronavirus answers only immediate questions
Rishi Sunak should be applauded for ripping up Treasury thinking in his response to the coronavirus crisis
Coronavirus budget bailouts make sense – but are not without risk
Bailing out businesses affected by coronavirus is the right thing to do – but it is an approach that should not be replicated for a no-deal Brexit
The collapse of Flybe puts the government's post-Brexit agenda in the spotlight
The Flybe collapse asks questions of the government's post-Brexit approach to state intervention and its flagship 'levelling up' agenda
The election result brought business relief but did not end its uncertainty for the future
Hopes that the 2019 general election puts an end to a distrusting relationship between business and government may not be realised any time soon.
By ignoring the digital world, the party manifestos ignore the future
The next government will need to tackle a wide range of digital challenges, but the party manifestos provide scant detail about what those will be.
Manifesto plans for infrastructure are built on big numbers and little evidence
When it comes to the political parties’ plans for infrastructure, Giles Wilkes is sceptical about round numbers and little detail.
Radical change versus playing it safe as parties divide on business policies
The party manifestos offer massively different solutions on how to best deliver for society and the economy.
Political consensus on business can’t hide the policy flaws
There are some surprising signs of consensus – and problems ahead – in the main political parties' pitches to the business community.
British Steel's collapse highlights the complexities of state intervention
The government's response to the troubles of British Steel is a reminder of how difficult it is to get state intervention right.
Bailout for business in a no-deal Brexit
If the UK leaves the EU without a deal, the government will not be able to support all affected industries.