A Report Card on 14 Years of Tory Rule

Bloomberg Opinion columnists assess what the Conservatives have delivered for the economy, society and Britain's standing in the world. The challenges awaiting the next government are numerous.

Economics

Tories Pay the Price for the Harms of Brexit

By Adrian Wooldridge

The EU-UK Post-Brexit Trade Deal Is Signed in Brussels And London

A Celebratory Cauldron Is Lit In Trafalgar Square Ahead Of The Paralympic Games

The UK Has a Productivity Problem. Tory Rule Made It Worse.

By Paul J. Davies

Since 2010, Britain has fallen further behind its peers.

Second Day of Junior Doctor Strike Action in England

Britons Have Good Reason to Lose Faith in the NHS

By Therese Raphael

The Tories aren't entirely to blame for the dire state of the NHS, but the party missed big opportunities to make it better.

Nigel Farage To Stand In General Election As The New Leader Of Reform UK

Tories Can’t Hide From Their Failures on Immigration

By Matthew Brooker

Conservatives insist on making immigration a core campaign issue while consistently missing their own targets to restrict it.

Rishi Sunak Visits A Military Base In North Yorkshire

‘Global Britain’ Is Too Big for the UK’s Defense Britches

By Marc Champion

Tories have failed on their security strong suit, and the mess will be hard to fix.

Falling UK Crime Rates Hide a More Complicated Story

By Adrian Wooldridge

The criminal justice system has been stretched under the Conservative government.

Debt And Sewage Pushed Thames Water Ltd. To The Brink

Tories Handed England an Awful Sewage Problem

By Lara Williams

A lack of funding for environmental protection has wreaked havoc on the country’s waterways.

Early UK Election Adds to Bull Case for London Markets This Year

The UK Corporate Crisis Has Gone From Bad to Worse

By Chris Hughes

The Conservatives’ record is marred by a stagnant stock market, foreign takeovers of British firms and a dearth of listings to replace them.

14 Years of the UK Annoying Europe (Especially France)

By Lionel Laurent

Brexit is in the rear-view mirror, but its long-run effects make the Tories vulnerable.

Silicon Roundabout As U.K. Tech Startups Raise Record Venture Capital In 2015

British Startups Just Can't Seem to Scale

By Parmy Olson

The UK has struggled to turn clever science and technology ideas into larger companies under the Tories.

Post Boxes Painted To Honour Black Britons During Black History Month

Education Is a Bright Spot in the Tories’ Record

By Chris Bryant

When it comes to schools, there is plenty for the next government to improve upon. But Conservatives’ focus on literacy and numeracy is paying dividends.

Residential Real Estate Ahead of UK House Price Data

Britain Is Plagued by Tories’ Failure to Build

By Matthew Brooker

Whoever wins the next election will inherit the country’s housing crisis, which looks as far as ever from being solved.

Rishi Sunak Holds Press Conference On Net Zero Policy Change

Tories Have Trashed the UK’s Climate Leadership

By Lara Williams

Green ambitions have all but disappeared with Rishi Sunak at the helm.

UK Markets Are Adrift Without a Rudder

By Marcus Ashworth

Successive Tory governments have overseen the decline of the pound and the diminishing of UK equities.

Inside An Iceland Food Ltd. Supermarket Ahead Of Latest UK Retail Figures

Why Do Brits Feel Worse Off With Employment This Strong?

By Andrea Felsted

One of the Tories’ biggest achievements has been bringing unemployment down. Yet people still feel worse off.