Slaying the Modern Giants: The Case for a National Insulation Service.

Abstract

Following the May 2026 council elections, growing public dissatisfaction threatens the political landscape, driven by systemic cost-of-living failure and low-quality housing. These issues represent modern mutations of Want and Squalor, two of the "Five Giants" identified in the 1942 Beveridge Report.

Traditional remediation methods rely on obsolete, expensive, or disruptive technologies. This paper proposes a self-funding, universal National Energy Efficiency Development Service (NEEDS). By utilising advanced technology such as a 1.5mm aerogel wall coating and low-cost hybrid secondary glazing, the state can permanently eradicate domestic mould and fuel poverty at a fraction of the time and cost of new nuclear infrastructure.

Crucially, NEEDS resolves the acute construction labour shortage by introducing a state-managed apprenticeship framework for asylum seekers and others. This framework provides immediate tax revenue, offsets asylum administration costs, and places skilled ambassadors directly into communities to visibly dismantle the misinformation driving political extremism.

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Historical Problem Status Update

In 1942 the Beveridge Report identified five giants which plagued the UK and the 1945 Labour Government set out to address them.

The Giant	The Problem	The Solution
Want	Poverty	National Insurance / Social Security
Disease	Lack of healthcare	The National Health Service (NHS)
Ignorance	Lack of education	Universal Secondary Education
Idleness	Unemployment	Government commitment to Full Employment
Squalor	Poor housing	Massive Rehousing and New Towns

The government’s attempts to tackle the giants were recognised and appreciated to the extent that no following government dared reverse them, but to a degree these giants are still with us:

Want

In 1942, Want meant a lack of "subsistence"—not having enough money for basic food or clothing. Today, while absolute destitution is rarer, "Relative Poverty" remains a significant issue.

• The "Poverty Premium": Those with the least often pay the most for essentials (e.g., prepay energy meters or high-interest credit).
• Food Insecurity: The rise of food banks over the last decade suggests that the "social insurance" net Beveridge envisioned often struggles to meet the rising costs of living.

Disease

In 1942 this meant that many did not have a doctor, dentist or optician, today we have these but face waiting lists for treatment. Food insecurity leads to many having a poor diet which inevitably leads to poor health and increased NHS costs. Many low-quality homes add to NHS costs through cold, damp and mould.

The Societal Cost: The House of Commons Library reported that the NHS spends an estimated £1.4 billion annually treating illnesses directly related to living in cold or damp housing. When factoring in lost productivity, mental health impacts, and broader social care, that societal cost jumps to £15.4 billion each year

Ignorance

We now have full secondary education and the option to go on to further education BUT we are faced with the spread of misinformation. The old policy of ‘Tell a lie, repeat it often and people will come to believe it’ works well for extremists. People now tend to believe ‘immigration is out of control’ and ‘the UK is facing a crimewave’.

Idleness

The UK has gone a long way towards full employment, but a degree of unemployment has been found to be desirable in keeping wages down for Industry. There are some in the UK who are forced into unemployment. One such group are the illegal entrants seeking asylum. In the future it is likely that many will be impacted by AI taking over their jobs.

Squalor

Many of the old ‘back-to-back’ Victorian streets are now gone but low quality housing, which is difficult to heat, damp and mould infected remains. Those with the lowest incomes live there because it’s all they can afford. To make it liveable it would have high energy costs to heat and ventilate it; energy costs the poor simply cannot pay and which the recent rise in energy price caps will make worse.

Current attempts to ‘fix’ low quality housing rely on expensive remedies:

• Double glazing: Costly, especially in high rise housing.
• Cavity wall insulation: Impossible where there is no cavity.
• External cladding: Expensive and where flammable cladding has been used, leads to disaster or homes which cannot be sold.
• Internal cladding: Can make already small rooms smaller still.
• Loft insulation: Bulky or in some cases where foam has been used, leading to roof timber decay.
• Floor insulation: Impossible in many cases and at the least requiring doors and skirting board removal and refitting after trimming.
• Heat pump central heating boilers: Expensive and adding unrealistic costs to existing electricity bills which the lowest income already can’t pay.

All but the latter of these methods rely on old and comparatively inefficient and expensive technology. They have failed to keep up with modern developments.

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A Proposed Solution

The Government should set up a National Energy Efficiency Development Service (NEEDS) structured in the same spirit as the NHS in 1948. It will use modern technology to solve the ‘squalor’ and ‘want’ issues immediately and at the same time resolve aspects of the remaining ‘giants’.

NEEDS would:

• Be free at the point of use.
• Be targeted initially at those most in need.
• Be a rolling programme developing and adopting new materials as they become available.
• Reduce our energy requirement and improve our national carbon footprint.
• Reduce the heating costs of those least able to pay for them.
• Remove the issue of mould causing illness.
• Be relatively inexpensive nationally.

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How can this be achieved?

The most efficient insulation material currently is aerogel[1]. It is so efficient that an ice cube resting on a thin layer of it will not melt when a blowtorch is placed underneath. Aerogel materials can be applied to the inner surface of external walls in a 1.5mm thick layer of plaster like material and then painted over. One manufacturer of such a material, AeroTherm[2], claims that when applied to a solid brick wall heat lost through the wall can be reduced by up to 35%. On cavity brick walls savings are less impressive but still substantial, typically 12% to 15%.

Even a 12% saving nationally would be the equivalent of 36TWh of energy annually. To put that into perspective the Hinkley Point C Nuclear reactor is expected to produce 26TWh annually when it comes online in 2030/2031. Because the vast majority of UK heating is currently gas-fired, NEEDS would primarily save gas, drastically reducing fossil fuel dependency and carbon emissions, while taking massive pressure off the grid as the UK transitions to electric heat pumps.

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Costs

Nationally an average UK home has 150 square metres of external walls. The UK has 28.5 million homes. Whilst AeroTherm costs £25-£30 per square metre, preparation and redecoration costs make the likely cost per square metre £90.

• 28.5 million homes × 150 square metres = 4.275 billion square metres of walls
• 4.275 billion square metres × £90 per square metre = £384.7 billion

Fortunately, this is a one time cost and need not be spent all at once. In the first year the worst of UK housing should be addressed. If the programme were tightly targeted to the 8 to 10 million solid-wall, low-income homes that actually suffer from severe "Squalor" and mould, the cost drops to roughly £110 billion to £135 billion—Less than the cost of 4-nuclear-plants and not taking 10 years to complete. In practice these homes tend to be smaller so the lower figure is more likely.

Aerogel wall insulation is not the only energy efficiency product available. There are other cost effective energy savings which can be made. One such product, secondary glazing film[6] — often called shrink film — is arguably the single most cost-effective "quick win" in thermal efficiency. Typically £10 per home, it converts single glazing to double glazing and double glazing to triple glazing. The product can be mailed to homes and self-installed requiring only scissors and a hair drier. Single glazing loses about twice as much heat as standard double glazing. Shrink film cuts that loss by up to 30-40%. Double glazed windows become 5-10% more efficient. For a home with older windows, this can easily save £50 to £100 on a single winter's heating bill. To provide every UK home with this secondary glazing film would cost £285 million, a rounding error in the National Budget. Such film would probably need replacing every 2 years.

Unfortunately, there are two problems with secondary glazing film.

1. It is attractive to cat claws and toddler fingers.
2. Not everyone is able bodied or adept enough to install it.

Both issues can be resolved by having NEEDS workers install film and if necessary install a more solid acrylic sheet over the lower vulnerable part.

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NEEDS Workforce

There is already a shortage of labour in the construction industry BUT there are currently a significant number of able bodied people forced into idleness. I suggest using this ‘workforce’ the asylum seekers. They would need 2-3 days training and would be paired with a UK citizen. Part of their training would be to act as ambassadors of their culture bringing them into contact with the public. By placing asylum seekers into the heart of British communities as skilled, working professionals, you smash the "invisible" barrier that allows extremist misinformation to thrive. People stop fearing an abstract headline when the person saving them £300 a year on their heating bills is a polite, hardworking asylum seeker named Ahmed. This uses a surplus of human potential to solve a critical labour shortage, while simultaneously launching a direct counter-offensive against the giant of Ignorance which causes many to think of the boat people as criminals and lazy spongers living at our expense in four star hotels.

An asylum seeker would be paid a UK minimum wage but while their application was in progress would pay a 50% income tax rate with no personal allowance. They would still retain existing asylum benefits. Based on a 35 hour week they would be £220 better off and so would the country. They would also gain a valuable skill and freedom from boredom. If their application for asylum proved successful, they would be given a tax rebate which would help them in settlement. Unsuccessful applicants would not receive this rebate.

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Other areas in which NEEDS could be involved

• Roof and floor insulation using aerogel products: For roofs a 3mm aerogel based blanket[5] offers a substantial improvement to a 300mm layer of glass fibre or rockwool insulation and is easier to apply in older properties where a 300mm space is not available. For floors a similar product can replace conventional carpet underlay offering vastly improved performance and fire resistance[3][4]. New builds should make use of a 10 mm product. Aerogel based carpet underlays are available which dramatically improve floor insulation.
• Energy Storage: As we move away from fossil fuels to renewables, energy storage becomes an issue since the sun does not always shine or the wind always blow. We can store energy surpluses using batteries and gravity. Currently we use lithium batteries and pumped water storage but these are not the only methods. Lithium is in short supply, expensive and most of it is dependent on a Chinese source. Sodium, which is both cheap and plentiful can be used instead to make batteries. These will be bigger than the equivalent lithium batteries but cost far less. Windfarms especially should be encouraged to make use of them. Rather than pumped water storage we should make use of many of the railway lines which have been closed. An electrically driven train can carry heavy blocks uphill using surplus power. When power is needed they can roll downhill with their electric motors becoming dynamos to produce electricity again.
• Geothermal and District Heating: Fossil fuel industries should be offered incentives to use their drilling expertise to explore for geothermal energy which can be recovered with heat pumps. Many now flooded coal mines can be exploited for district heating schemes.
• Domestic Manufacturing: Aerogel products need to be manufactured in the UK. For example, AeroTherm is manufactured in the Czech Republic. It would help the UK economy to develop and manufacture such products in the UK and export rather than import them.

Rather than producing new energy systems or offering short-term discounts it makes sense to use energy more efficiently first!

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Endnotes

[1] Aerogel Insulation Science & Advanced Materials Overview: View Guide

[2] AeroTherm Ultra-Thin Internal Wall Insulation Coating Specification: View Specs

[3] ThermaSlim Impact Thin Profile Internal Floor Panels: View Specs

[4] Spacetherm Ultra-Thin Floor and Retrofit Underlay Solutions: View Specs

[5] Spacetherm A1 Non-Combustible Ceilings and Flexible Roof Blankets: View Specs

[6] Stormguard Clear Shrink Film Secondary Glazing Kits: View Specs

Beyond the Brink: A 4-Point "Grand Bargain" to End the US-Iran War

Update: March 20, 2026 – With the conflict now in its third week and costs skyrocketing, this proposal offers a pragmatic "Third Way" out of the current stalemate.

 We are all citizens of the world and the current Iran conflict  is costing us all dearly whether we are personally involved or not. The citizens of Iran, the US and Israel are those paying most dearly for a war no one wants.

The Context: As of March 20, 2026, the US military has requested $200 billion for operations in Iran. This amounts to roughly $584 per U.S. citizen—a staggering bill for a war that threatens to close the Strait of Hormuz indefinitely and push oil prices toward $150. That $200 billion could easily escalate to cover just the first six months of the conflict.

The Outlook: Yesterday afternoon, I caught a briefing on BBC Radio 4’s PM program (March 19, 2026). The discussion, featuring strategic insights from experts like Sir Lawrence Freedman, outlined three stark paths for the Iran conflict. It became clear that without a unified proposal like the one I'm presenting here, the combatants are merely choosing which disaster to fund.

1. The Perpetual Conflict: It drags on for years producing more deaths and higher prices worldwide. Currently this seems the most likely scenario but it's the worst of all options. Terrorism will reign, economies will collapse, and President Trump will be seen as dragging the US into a never-ending conflict.
2. The "Mission Accomplished" Exit: The US declares victory and returns to the status quo, having spent billions and gained nothing.
3. The Kharg Island Occupation: US/Israel capture Iran's oil hub. This would cost a similar amount to the Vietnam War in terms of deaths and finance. The $200 billion requested would cover just the first six months, and the Strait would likely remain closed.

Currently it's estimated if the war continues it will add $1,200 to worldwide household budgets - a never ending black hole.

None of these scenarios satisfy the parties involved. Here is the formal proposal I have submitted to mediators:

Subject: A Roadmap for Regional Stabilization (March 2026)

This proposal is being submitted simultaneously to the mediators in Muscat, the U.S. State Department, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Tehran to ensure a transparent, unified starting point for de-escalation.

To: Sayyid Badr Albusaidi (Foreign Minister of Oman), Steve Witkoff (U.S. Special Envoy), and the Supreme National Security Council of Iran.

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Preamble: The Cost of Inertia

As of late March 2026, the current military trajectory offers no victors. With oil exceeding $110 per barrel and thousands of lives at risk, we propose a Unified Four-Pillar Accord.

Pillar 1: Security & Religious Recognition
Iran formally recognizes Israel as "People of the Book," removing the theological pretext for hostility. In exchange, Israel and the U.S. provide security guarantees for Lebanon’s sovereignty.

Pillar 2: The Energy & Economic Bridge
Immediate reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. In exchange, developed nations provide a "Technology Transfer Package" to help Iran transition fossil fuels into industrial raw materials and renewable energy.

Pillar 3: Nuclear Transparency & Cooperation
Establishment of a Joint Nuclear Technology Center on Iranian soil. All enrichment above 5% is prohibited, and waste is reprocessed externally.

Pillar 4: The Digital & Social Compact
A phased lifting of all sanctions in exchange for Iran guaranteeing open, uncensored Internet access for its citizens and beginning a "Legal Modernization" process.

Conclusion: A Choice of Legacies
This offers the U.S. and Israel the security they demand, and it offers Iran the development and respect it seeks.

What are the Pros and Cons of these suggestions?

1. An immediate cessation of hostilities Obviously this immediately saves lives and governments money but without further action nothing is resolved.

For Iran: The government can argue that recognizing Israel as "People of the Book" is a return to original Quranic recognition. By framing this as a return to the "Religion of Abraham" (3:67), leadership can save face, claiming they are re-aligning with a monotheistic vision rather than surrendering.

For Israel: The deal can be framed as the fulfilment of war goals. They can declare a Permanent Security Zone where Hezbollah relocates north of the Litani River, allowing Israel to claim a total win in the north.

For the US: Avoids a protracted war. President Trump can be seen as a peacemaker; the best way to defeat an enemy is to make him a friend.

2. Energy & Economic Bridge Opening the Strait of Hormuz will stabilize oil prices much to the relief of the world and financial markets. For this to be acceptable to Iran there must be a reward in exchange.

For Iran: Technology aid to transition from burning fossil fuels to using them as industrial raw materials. Iran has huge reserves of copper, iron, zinc, lead, and lithium. With their gas, they can make fertilizer to feed the world and gain global agricultural support.

3. Nuclear Transparency & Cooperation The world is terrified of Iran becoming a nuclear power yet Iran knows that in a nuclear exchange there are no winners just millions of dead. Four countries have given up nuclear weapons: South Africa, Ukraine, Belarus and Kazakhstan. Three countries have stepped back from developing them: Brazil, Argentina and Libya There is no shame for Iran in joining these countries. Iran has the opportunity to lead the Middle East into this prestigious group of nations.

For Iran: Iran has significant Uranium deposits which it can develop for peaceful use. If Iran agrees to international management of its conventional mines, Israel could be encouraged to provide transparency on its unconventional (phosphate) uranium as part of a "Nuclear-Free Middle East" vision.

For Israel: They only have to trust International Inspectors and US military oversight, not the Iranian government directly. Given time there could be trust between the two nations.

4. The Digital & Social Compact This is possibly the most difficult objective for Iran to achieve. All sanctions would be lifted in exchange for Iran providing open internet access and liberalizing extreme laws. This trades regime isolation for economic prosperity.

For Iran: Sanctions relief provides an immediate boost, making domestic opposition less likely. Iran could choose Finland as a role model—a wealthy, happy nation—rather than the US. Other Muslim countries have survived Western influence; a connected population is a stable one.

For Israel: This represents the ultimate victory: the Arab and Persian world finally accepting Israel as a permanent, legitimate neighbour.

I invite you to discuss these proposals below, but please offer constructive alternatives if you disagree.

The UK has a problem - Parliament is falling down

 

A vision of 'Managed Decline': What happens when the £1.5 million-a-week patch-up finally fails.

Remember that nursery rhyme/song 'London Bridge is Falling Down'? Here's a new version:

The Restoration Rhyme (2026 edition)

Parl-i-ment is falling down, Falling down, falling down. Westminster Palace is falling down, My fair Taxpayer.	Westminster Palace where the UK Parliament is held really is in danger of collapse. It currently costs £1.5 million a week to stop falling masonry, fires breaking out and it flooding with sewage. There are plans for major repairs but the costs are frightening - up to £39 billion to stabilise things.
Build it up with iron and steel, Iron and steel, iron and steel. But rust will make the structure reel, My fair Taxpayer.	Much of the roof is made from that Victorian wonder material - cast iron. It's rusting and as it does so expands and leaks. There are 250 miles of ancient copper wire with crumbling insulation that needs replacement. It runs alongside Victorian plumbing for heating, water and sewage. The plumbing leaks dangerously onto the wiring. In winter the House of Lords have sat wearing coats because of failed heating.
Build it up with Anston stone, Anston stone, Anston stone. It crumbles to the very bone, My fair Taxpayer.	The original building was made from Anston limestone. A material used because it was cheap. Unfortunately it is not a durable limestone and even before the building was completed, it was starting to crumble in the acid air of the time. It's still being eaten away.
Patch it up with plastic chutes, Plastic chutes, plastic chutes. While asbestos fills the air and nooks, My fair Taxpayer.	In many places plastic guttering has been installed to prevent water/sewage from dripping onto dangerous wires and circuit boards. A temporary solution but made far more expensive by the presence of asbestos throughout the building. A minor job like fixing a leaky tap often requires a full hazardous-materials team, turning a 30-minute repair into a multi-day, multi-thousand-pound operation.
Build it up with silver and gold, Silver and gold, silver and gold. Forty billion is a price too bold, My fair Taxpayer.	The costs involved are horrendous. Maintenance teams are currently handling roughly 2,900 reactive tasks every month. That is nearly 100 "something just broke" incidents every single day, ranging from falling masonry to sewage leaks. We are spending £1,500,000 a week to stop the building from falling apart. There are two long term solutions proposed but the most favoured one will cost £40 billion.

The "Final Vote" on the possible options isn't expected until 2030, meaning another £312 million (at £1.5m a week) will be spent on temporary patches before a single permanent brick is even laid.

Let's look at the problems in more detail.

The Roof

The Elizabeth Tower, Big Ben, is the only part of Westminster Palace which has been restored but the roof of the rest of the building is in poor condition. the Grade I listed cast iron roof is in a state of "high-risk failure."

• The Rusted Struts: The cast iron sections are held up by support struts that have been rusting for over 160 years. In many places, the iron has expanded (oxidized), causing the tiles to crack or shift.

• Active Leaks: Water ingress is a constant battle. In the last month alone (February 2026), major leaks were reported in the Colonnade and near the House of Commons ceiling.

• The "Waterfall" Incident: A few years ago, business in the Commons had to be suspended because water was literally pouring through the ceiling onto the benches—that issue hasn't been "fixed," only "patched." This isn't just a plumbing issue; it's a constitutional one. When the roof leaks, democracy stops.

• The rest of the roof is so fragile that engineers are hesitant to even walk on certain sections for fear of triggering a collapse into the chambers below.

• There's a £3 billion Phase One works starting this year (2026) including a specific focus on the Victoria Tower roof (the opposite end to Big Ben) and internal structure. The Victoria Tower is suffering from severe masonry decay at the roofline. Cast iron supports have rusted and expanded making the stone unstable. Chunks of stone have been known to fall from the ornamental "crown" of the tower, making the area below a safety hazard.

The wiring

• There is a maze of wiring throughout the Palace most of it long past its life expectancy. Rubber and cotton insulation has decayed to the point that, if it is moved even slightly, it crumbles to dust and no longer insulates causing short circuits with the danger of fire. Old wiring which is no longer used has been left in place to avoid disturbing newer but still dangerous wiring. Since 2016, there have been 36 fire incidents, The risk of fire is so great that, because the fire alarm system is so unreliable and the wiring so fragile, we the taxpayers pay for a team of 28 full-time fire officers to maintain a 24-hour watch. With seven officers on shift at all times, they are effectively 'human smoke detectors' patrolling 1,100 rooms to catch an inferno before it starts.

The Plumbing

• As of March 2026, officials have confirmed that the sewerage and heating systems are in a state of near-constant failure.

• A sewage ejector system was installed in 1888. It uses compressed air to "shunt" waste through the building. When it fails (which it does frequently), it doesn't just stop working; it can lead to "significant problems with the sewerage system" that have recently forced the closure of multiple toilet blocks across the building

• Parts are long since obsolete and can't simply be replaced with modern fittings

•  Several toilets are currently permanently closed not just because of leaks, but because they are located in areas with crumbly concrete, making it too dangerous for plumbers to even enter the rooms to fix the pipes.

• There are over 14 miles of water and waste pipework snaking through the basement and walls. Leaks are common and especially dangerous when they are near ancient wiring. In some places plastic guttering has been installed to catch leaks which can't be conveniently fixed.

• Much of the Palace is still heated by high-pressure Victorian steam pipes for which spare parts are unavailable. Each fitting replaced must be forged from scratch.

The asbestos

• Asbestos is present in more than 2,500 locations. Because it’s so widespread, even a minor job like fixing a leaky tap often requires a full hazardous-materials team, turning a 30-minute repair into a multi-day, multi-thousand-pound operation. Almost every mile of the plumbing is wrapped in asbestos lagging. To fix a one-inch leak, a team must:

  1. Build a sealed plastic tent.

  2. Send in specialists in hazmat suits.

  3. Slowly strip the lagging.

  4. Only then can a plumber touch the pipe.

  This turns a £50 plumbing job into a £10,000 hazardous waste operation, which is a major reason why the weekly maintenance bill has hit £1.5 million.

So what are the options?

Feature	Option 1: Full Decant	Option 2: Staged Works (EMI+
Strategy	Everyone moves out (MPs and Lords).	Work done in stages; Parliament stays.
Duration	19 – 24 years	38 – 61 years
Estimated Cost	Up to £15.6 billion	Up to £39.2 billion
Key Benefit	Faster, cheaper, and safer.	Avoids the "political optics" of leaving.
Key Risk	Significant disruption to tradition.	Massive cost; extreme fire risk during work.

Both of these options simply restore the Palace of Westminster to how it is now. It will be safe but it will also be:

• Cramped Quarters - too small to house properly 650 MPs. It was built for 1,000 people. It needs to house 5,000 comprising MPs, Peers, researchers, civil servants, security, and catering staff.
• Sitting Problem - The House of Commons chamber famously only has enough green leather benches to seat about 427 of the 650 MPs. During major debates, MPs are forced to stand at the bar of the House or sit on the steps
• Office Needs - Victorian gothic architecture doesn't lend itself to open-plan offices, breakout rooms, or high-speed data centres. Many MPs work out of "rabbit warren" offices that are poorly ventilated and lack basic modern amenities.
• Accessibility - The building is a maze of Victorian stairs and narrow corridors. Only 12% of it is accessible to people with disabilities.

One suggestion was to restore then convert the Palace of Westminster into a museum and build a modern parliament building. The problem there is that of finding a suitable space for a new building. It has been suggested to relocate Parliament to Manchester of Birmingham but that would put it remote from other government offices.

A second suggestion is that Parliament takes place online. That was done successfully during the Covid pandemic bit it is currently not being considered as a standalone option for the long-term restoration project. Many MPs and constitutional experts argue that the UK’s "unwritten constitution" relies heavily on physical presence for effective scrutiny. 

• Informal Lobbying: A huge amount of parliamentary business happens in the corridors, tea rooms, and "the lobby," where backbenchers can corner Ministers. This, they say, cannot be replicated on a screen.

• Voting Procedures: While remote voting was used during the pandemic, it was largely rolled back. The traditional act of physically walking through "Division Lobbies" is seen by many as a vital part of the legislative process.

It strikes me that these are feeble excuses:

• Lobbying: Is "corridor whispering" really worth a £24 billion surcharge (the difference between Option 1 and Option 2)?
• Tradition: the Commons Chamber was destroyed in WWII and rebuilt in the 1950s—much of what they call "ancient tradition" is actually younger than some of the MPs sitting in it.

Currently the favourite option seems to be for the MPs to remain in Parliament while restoration work is carried out around them. This is the most expensive option and MPs will suffer noise, dust and dirt from the work. They will also face danger from asbestos dust and fire, falling masonry and timber, heat in summer and cold in winter. Security will be a nightmare for them.

UK's Major Problems Identified

 While the media often focus on immediate "broken Britain" headlines like potholes or rail strikes, there are several deep-seated, structural issues that experts identify as the "major" problems. These are often described as a "permacrisis"—a collection of systemic failures that reinforce one another.

Based on the current landscape in 2026, here are the real major structural problems facing the UK:

1. The Productivity & Investment Gap

The UK has a chronic "output per hour" problem. British workers produce significantly less per hour than their peers in France or Germany (around 10-18% less). Source

• Low Investment: The UK has the lowest business investment rate among the 20 highest-income countries. Currently it stands at about 17% of GDP compared with 22% average for the rest of Europe.

• "Zombie" Firms: A segment of the economy consists of low-productivity companies that survive on low interest rates and low wages but don't innovate.

• Infrastructure Gridlock: Energy grid connections and planning approvals have historically taken years, stalling billions in private investment.

2. The Housing & Wealth Divide

Housing has shifted from a basic need to a primary driver of wealth inequality.

• The "Affordability Gap": In London, it now takes a median earner nearly 20 years to save for a deposit. Even in most other regions, the gap between what people earn and what they can borrow (typically 4.5x income) leaves a "missing" £70,000 to £275,000 for the average home.

• Rental Insecurity: One in five households now rent privately, often spending over 30% of their income on housing, which prevents them from building capital and contributes to a "poverty trap."

3. The Health & Social Care "Bottleneck"

The NHS crisis isn't just about hospital beds; it's a systemic flow problem.

• Social Care Fragility: The "exit" from hospitals is blocked because the social care sector (care homes and home visits) is underfunded and understaffed (with over 150,000 vacancies). This leads to "corridor care" and record-high waiting lists.

• Workforce Burnout: GP numbers have effectively decreased relative to the population since 2015. UK GPs report higher levels of emotional distress and workload increases than those in almost any other high-income country.

4. Regional Economic Disparity

The UK remains one of the most geographically unequal developed nations.

• The "Postcode Lottery": Public health, education outcomes, and life expectancy vary wildly between the South East and the post-industrial North or Midlands.

• Connectivity: While "Northern Powerhouse Rail" and devolution deals are moving forward in 2026, the lack of east-west transport links in the North remains a major drag on the national GDP.

5. The Demographic "Fiscal Squeeze"

The UK has an aging population but a shrinking proportional workforce to pay for it.

• Tax Burden: To fund the rising costs of health and social care, the tax burden has reached its highest level in decades.

• Economic Inactivity: A significant rise in long-term sickness—partly due to the NHS backlog—has removed millions from the labour market, reducing the tax base and increasing benefit spending.

What is NOT a major issue

• Illegal immigration - Illegal arrivals represent less than 5% of total annual immigration.
• Sharia Law - These Muslim courts have no legal basis in the UK. Attendance and observance of any sentence issued is entirely optional.
• Halal food - This focuses on the method of slaughter. Islam allows an animal to be electrically stunned making this not an issue.
• Immigrants claiming benefits - Illegal immigrants cannot claim benefits. Legal immigrants cannot claim benefits for a period of five to ten years. A government report, December 2025 pointed out that immigrants were a net benefit to the UK
• Crime - Overall levels of crime are dropping steadily in the UK. Immigrants tend to be mor law abiding than UK citizens in general.

Brexit or not?

 After reading Nolan Jazimreg's book 'BREXIT The Great British Tax Avoidance Swindle' I did a little research using Google Gemini. I asked Gemini to construct tables of the net worth of pro and anti Brexiteers in Parliament before and after Brexit. You should remember that an AI can make mistakes, but I found the results to be informative.

Prominent Brexiteers and those against Brexit

Estimated Net Worth of Key Politicians who supported Brexit
(c. 2016/2026)

Pro-Brexit Politicians

Politician	Est. Net Worth (2016)	Primary Source of Wealth	Status (Feb 2026)	Est. Net Worth (2026)	Notes on Wealth Growth
Jacob Rees-Mogg	£55m – £150m	Co-founder of Somerset Capital Management; significant family inheritance.	Conservative (Former MP)	£100m – £150m	Despite the 2024 wind-down of Somerset Capital, his combined family wealth and property remain the highest on this list.
Jeremy Hunt	£14m+	Sale of his education company, Hotcourses; property portfolio.	Conservative MP	£15m – £17m	Retains wealth from his Hotcourses sale; currently a high-profile Shadow Cabinet member/backbencher.
John Redwood	£5m+	Investment career; Global Strategist for Charles Stanley; author royalties.	Conservative (Former MP)	£5m+	Wealth sustained through long-term investment roles and a significant property portfolio.
Nigel Farage	~£2.5m	Former commodities trader*; MEP salary and allowances; media appearances.	MP for Clacton; Leader of Reform UK; Broadcaster.	~£4.5m - £5m	Significant income from media (GB News, Sky News Australia), Cameo videos (£100k+), and a reported £1.5m for I'm a Celebrity. High-value speaking circuit in the US.
Boris Johnson	£1.5m – £2m	Daily Telegraph column (£275k/year); book deals and speaking fees.	Conservative (Former PM)	£10m – £15m	Significant increase since 2016. He has earned over £6m in advances for memoirs and speaking fees since leaving No. 10.
Iain Duncan Smith	£1m – £2m	Ministerial salary; speaking fees; property (notably a £2m family estate).	Conservative MP	£1m – £2m	Primarily tied to his ministerial pension and his family's property interests.
Michael Gove	£1m – £1.5m	Journalism career (The Times); ministerial salary; London property.	Conservative (Former MP)	£2m – £3m	Likely increasing through journalism (The Times) and expected book deals following his retirement from the Commons.
Dominic Raab	£1m – £1.5m	Legal career (Linklaters); ministerial salary; London property.	Conservative (Former MP)	£2m+	Returned to legal/advisory work after standing down in 2024.
Liam Fox	£1m+	Medical background; long-term MP/Ministerial salary and property.	Conservative (Former MP)	£1m – £2m	Wealth grounded in long-term parliamentary service and international advisory roles.
Priti Patel	£1m+	Background in PR (Weber Shandwick); MP/Ministerial salary and property.	Conservative MP	£2m+	Ministerial pension, MP salary, and property assets in London and Essex.
Nadine Dorries	£500k – £1m	Successful career as a novelist (earning six figures in royalties).	Conservative (Former MP)	£2m – £4m	Substantial earnings from her Daily Mail column, TV appearances, and best-selling novels.
Penny Mordaunt	£500k – £1m	PR background; Royal Navy Reservist; MP/Ministerial salary.	Conservative (Former MP)	£1m – £1.5m	Expected to see a rise in "brand value" and media appearances after losing her seat in 2024.
Steve Baker	Under £1m	Former RAF engineer and software consultant; MP salary.	Conservative (Former MP)	£1m+	Since losing his seat, he has moved into private sector consultancy and senior corporate roles.
Mark Francois	Under £1m	Background in public affairs and infantry; MP salary.	Conservative MP	Under £1m	One of the few on this list whose primary income remains the standard MP salary (£91,346).
Nadhim Zahawi	£20m – £30m	Co-founder of YouGov; Gulf Keystone Petroleum (Oil/Gas); Property.	Reform UK (Defected Jan 2026)	£100m+	Massive growth via a family property portfolio worth c. £100m and executive roles like Chair of The Very Group.
Robert Jenrick	£2m – £5m	Legal career (Skadden Arps); Art history; Family property assets.	Reform UK (Defected Jan 2026)	£10m+	Growth largely tied to his marriage to Michal Berkner (high-earning US corporate lawyer) and prime London property assets.
Suella Braverman	£500k – £1m	Legal career (Barrister); MP/Ministerial salary.	Reform UK (Defected Jan 2026)	£2m – £3m	Significant 2024-25 boost from the "international speaking circuit" (c. £60k+) and high-paid newspaper columns.
Andrew Rosindell	Under £500k	Career politician; Long-term MP for Romford.	Reform UK (Defected Jan 2026)	Under £1m	Wealth remains relatively modest compared to peers, primarily based on MP salary and pension.

I asked Gemini to research a similar table for the most vociferous Anti-Brexiter MPs. I expected their fortunes to increase dramatically until 2020, they would be fools not to take advantage of each Brexit 'deadline', but grow more slowly afterwards.

Politician	Est. Net Worth (2016)	Primary Source of Wealth	Status (Feb 2026)	Est. Net Worth (2026)	Notes on Wealth Growth
David Cameron	~£10m – ~£15m	Inherited wealth (Blairmore Holdings**), property (Notting Hill & Oxfordshire), and PM salary.	Conservative peer in the House of Lords (Lord Cameron of Chipping Norton); Member of the House of Lords; Advisor to various international investment and technology firms. (Hiro Capital)	~£50m – £50m	Massive growth via the "Blair model": lucrative speaking tours ($120k+ per speech), a £1.5m book deal for For the Record, and advisory roles (notably the Greensill Capital stake and Afiniti).
Nick Clegg	£1m – £2m	MP salary; property in London & Spain.	Private Sector (Hiro Capital)	£25m – £35m	The most dramatic growth. Earned c. £15m from Meta (Facebook) share sales alone after joining in 2018.
George Osborne	£4m – £5m	Family wallpaper firm (Osborne & Little).	Private Sector (9Yards Capital)	£15m – £20m	Rapid growth 2017–2021 via BlackRock advisory role (£650k/year) and multiple lucrative directorships.
Tony Blair	£40m – £60m	Global advisory (Tony Blair Associates); Property.	Labour (Shadow Elder / NGO)	£70m – £90m	Wealth continues to grow through a £27m+ family property empire and his Institute’s global reach.
Sir Keir Starmer	£3m – £5m	Legal career (DPP); Surrey land holdings.	Labour (Prime Minister)	£10m – £15m	Growth is largely "passive," tied to the appreciation of his 7-acre Surrey estate and London home.
Dominic Grieve	£3m – £5m	Extensive share portfolio (LVMH, Shell, etc.); Property.	Independent (Former MP)	£6m – £8m	Wealth driven by a high-value diversified share portfolio and his return to senior legal practice.
Gina Miller	£5m – £10m	SCM Direct (Investment firm).	True & Fair Party (Leader)	£10m – £15m	Wealth remained stable/growing through her investment business, despite funding multiple legal challenges.
Alastair Campbell	£1m – £2m	Journalism; Book deals.	Labour (Media/Podcast)	£3m – £5m	Growth spike post-2021 due to the massive success of The Rest Is Politics podcast and speaking fees.
Anna Soubry	Under £1m	Legal (Barrister); MP salary.	Corporate Advisory	£1m – £2m	Shifted to corporate legal and advisory work after losing her seat in 2019.

Gemini reported: "As you suspected, many high-profile 'Remainers' saw a significant surge in their net worth between 2016 and 2020. This was often driven by a pivot into the private sector (specifically global finance or tech) immediately after the referendum, where their "inside knowledge" of the UK's exit process was highly valued. However, for those who stayed in frontline politics (like Sir Keir Starmer), the growth has been steadier and more tied to traditional property appreciation."

Notes on ATAD and Tax Strategy

ATAD stands for the EU’s Anti-Tax Avoidance Directive. It is legislation first introduced by the EU after the Greek financial crisis. It was found that wealthy people and businesses had avoided paying tax by dubious but semi-legal practices. ATAD proposals sent shock waves through the UK financial sector and was agreed upon in June 2016 and were due to come into force fully in 2020. It has been suggested that the REAL reason behind BREXIT was the EU ATAD rather than the reasons stated by the Leave Campaign.

*Farage’s relationship with tax transparency is often highlighted by critics.

• Offshore Interests: In 2013, it was revealed Farage had set up the "Farage Family Educational Trust" on the Isle of Man. While he claimed it was a "mistake" and he didn't personally benefit, it aligns with Jazimreg’s thesis that many architects of Brexit had personal reasons to favor jurisdictions outside the reach of the EU’s Anti-Tax Avoidance Directive.

• The "Hedge Fund" Allegation: As noted in various investigations into the night of the referendum, Farage twice "conceded" defeat while reportedly possessing private exit poll data suggesting Leave had won. Critics suggest this volatility benefited currency speculators and hedge fund managers who were shorting the pound—many of whom were prominent Brexit donors.

• Corporate Structure: Farage funnels much of his modern income through his company, Thorn in the Side Ltd, which allows for corporate tax rates (currently around 25%) rather than the higher personal income tax rates (45% for his bracket) he would otherwise pay as a high-earning individual.

  • Offshore Interests: In 2013, it was revealed Farage had set up the "Farage Family Educational Trust" on the Isle of Man. While he claimed it was a "mistake" and he didn't personally benefit, it aligns with Jazimreg’s thesis that many architects of Brexit had personal reasons to favour jurisdictions outside the reach of the EU’s Anti-Tax Avoidance Directive.

  • The "Hedge Fund" Allegation: As noted in various investigations into the night of the referendum, Farage twice "conceded" defeat while reportedly possessing private exit poll data suggesting Leave had won. Critics suggest this volatility benefited currency speculators and hedge fund managers who were shorting the pound—many of whom were prominent Brexit donors.

  • Corporate Structure: Farage funnels much of his modern income through his company, Thorn in the Side Ltd, which allows for corporate tax rates (currently around 25%) rather than the higher personal income tax rates (45% for his bracket) he would otherwise pay as a high-earning individual.

** David Cameron is a remarkable person of note. He was strongly opposed to the EU Anti-Tax Avoidance Directive. The Anti-Tax Avoidance Directive (ATAD) was a major EU initiative designed to close loopholes used by multi-national corporations and high-net-worth individuals to shift profits to low-tax jurisdictions. Jazimreg, in his book argues that:

• Cameron had a Conflict of Interest: Cameron’s family wealth was famously linked to offshore funds (revealed in the Panama Papers just months before the vote). Jazimreg suggests Cameron’s personal and class interests in protecting offshore structures made him a "half-hearted" advocate for EU integration, as further integration meant stricter tax transparency.

• The "Veto" Reputation: Before the referendum, Cameron spent years in Brussels fighting against EU-wide financial regulations and the "Robin Hood" tax (Financial Transactions Tax).

• Campaign Strategy: This background may explain why the Remain campaign focused almost exclusively on "Project Fear" (economic stability) rather than the social or regulatory benefits of the EU; he could not champion the EU’s tax-dodging crackdowns without highlighting his own opposition to them.

This perspective suggests that for Cameron, "Remain" was about maintaining the status quo of the UK's financial services "Wild West" within the EU, rather than a genuine belief in the European project—a tension that arguably cost the campaign its soul and the eventual vote.

or…

Could it be that the lacklustre performance of the 'Remain' campaign was due to it being led by a secret Brexiteer?

So what would have happened if we had remained in the EU and politicians faced the EU Anti-tax avoidance directive (ATAD)?