Letters

Altered states Feargal Cochrane’s essay (“Unionism, nationalism and

The high street

We’ve all got a stake in our battered town centres. So give us all a voice in their future, writes Vidhya Alakeson

Money

Whether it’s bullion or Bitcoin, its value always comes down to trust, explains Ben Chu

In fact

In a poll of 2,000 Britons under 30,

Wasps

Although not as cuddly as their honey-producing cousins, nature needs wasps too, argues Seirian Sumner

Silence from court

When should judges make and unmake law? One

Boos from the crowd

The Olympic authorities and the government in Tokyo have failed to bully Japan’s people into submission, writes Lesley Downer

Capital flight

In search of more space and cleaner air, many residents used the pandemic as an excuse to get away from the big smoke. Could the exodus make a lasting dent on London’s booming population? Tom Clark and David McAllister investigate

Is space exploration worth it?

YES Marcus Chown NO Deirdre Nansen McCloskey YES

From Hartlepool to the hangman

English nationalists have taken charge of the Tory Party, and they are cleaning up. Flag-waving is all very well, but eventually they will need a new populist cause. A referendum on the death penalty is becoming a frightening possibility

Mapping the new nationalism

If, as Chris Mullin argues, a new nationalist

Where the west ends

Centuries of history have taught Poland to be wary of Russia. Its authoritarian turn may slowly change that—and destroy its relationships with everyone else

Europe’s second-rate first lady

Portrait

CONSENT: the dynamite at the heart of the British constitution

Popular sovereignty was always fundamental to our democracy—an old truth the Brexit saga eventually forced us to remember. Forget it again, and we could blow apart the Union

Condemned to be liberal: Why any new British model will struggle to escape the long shadow of hands-off economics

The British economic policy debate feels more open

Do it like Denmark

In her quest for a new social contract, the most diplomatic of technocrats, Minouche Shafik, singles out one nation for special praise— and politely buries the third way

Replotting the human

Science is getting nearer to producing babies outside the womb. The moral arguments will need to catch up fast

“I know Biden’s cabinet is interested in my writing”

Michael Lewis has made it his life’s work to tell the stories of the people who saw crises coming. He tells Jay Elwes why the US’s shocking failures on Covid-19 could have been avoided

To know and not to know

Jacqueline Rose on the violence we ignore in everyday life—especially against women— and why we need to plumb the depths of our disordered minds to stop it

An immortal jellyfish

The wispy creature has humanity’s most sought-after secret—and it might not even know it

Two minutes to midnight

Fears of an imminent apocalypse have haunted our imaginations for millennia, finds Peter Frankopan

The imitation game

Of all the novelists writing autofictional narratives, Rachel Cusk is the most original and interesting, finds Miranda France

The Brexit illusions

Michel Barnier’s blow-by-blow account of the UK’s divorce from the EU reveals a litany of misunderstandings and missed opportunities, argues Julian King

Books in brief

Go Big: How to Fix Our World by

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Money report: Economics and investment

Meg Greene The analyst Biden’s great experiment Over

Policy report: Cyber security

It’s the new frontline in defending the nation. So how do we protect it?

Would You Like to Play a Game?

Ever since 1983’s WarGames, cyber security attacks have

Where could today’s mis-educational cookie crumble?

Five tell-tale, horrific signs reveal that: today’s school

HOW WE ESTABLISHED A GLOBAL FIRE SAFETY STANDARD

The UN has ratified the International Fire Safety Standard Common Principles, which RICS was instrumental in creating. While it will take time for governments to implement them, the impact should be felt immediately

CAN THE BRITISH HIGH STREET RISE AGAIN?

The pandemic has brought us closer to home—and it might save our local businesses too

The generalist by Didymus

ACROSS 11 In Scotland, long-winded or boring (10)

Enigma & puzzles Arithmagic

At Hagwits School, Winnie the witch was teaching

No ctrl

We invented algorithms. But they may soon be shaping us

Brief encounter

ILLUSTRATION BY NICK TAYLOR What is the first

PLANNING AHEAD

What the experts think about our housing dilemma

THE HOUSING TRAP

Politicians and industry know we need to build more homes. Why hasn’t it happened?

LET THE MARKET DECIDE

Less red tape and lower taxes will fix the problem

IT’S NOT JUST ABOUT PLANNING

Why the government can’t just leave the free market to sort out our housing crisis

WHAT MODULAR CONSTRUCTION METHODS CAN DO TO HELP BRITAIN TO BUILD MORE HOMES

In the past, modular construction was beset by set backs—but could things be changing?

IN NUMBERS: BRITAIN’S HOUSING

Expensive and exclusive, figures show homeownership remains a remote prospect for many

FUTURE GAZING: WHAT WILL THE REINVENTION OF RETAIL LOOK LIKE?

Even with the successful rollout of vaccines seeming to offer a glimpse of a post-Covid future, intelligent retailers know that there will never be a return to “normal”

LESSONS FROM GRENFELL

Has enough been done by the government on safety since the disaster and if not, why not?