The recent heatwaves revealed how ill-prepared Britain remains for a hotter future – and how unequal the ability to cope with it has become, write ROX MIDDLETON, LIAM SHAW and MIRIAM GAUNTLETT
BRITAIN has one of the largest, least diverse, most complex and interconnected financial systems of the advanced economies.
In contrast to many other countries, the banking sector in Britain is dominated by a handful of large, shareholder-owned universal banks, whose main aim is to maximise shareholder return.
Britain is also unusual in that it lacks a significant local or regional banking presence — the market is overwhelmingly dominated by national and often internationally orientated banks.
These features contribute towards a number of social and economic problems.
If the government really wanted to address public finances, improve living standards and begin economic recovery, it would increase its borrowing for investment, argues MICHAEL BURKE
Digital ID means the government could track anyone and then limit their speech, movements, finances — and it could get this all wrong, identifying the wrong people for the wrong reasons, as the numerous digital cockups so far demonstrate, warns DYLAN MURPHY
Politicians who continue to welcome contracts with US companies without considering the risks and consequences of total dependency in the years to come are undermining the raison d’etre of the NHS, argues Dr JOHN PUNTIS


