Prospect's best articles of 2015

Andrew Adonis, Labour peer and, since October, chair of the National Infrastructure Commission, puts forward a “simple but difficult” solution to our housing crisis, which we ran as the cover piece of our October issue. We need more than 200,000 homes built a year, and through compelling examples (did you know that Islington Council owns 150 large council estates?) Adonis makes a convincing case that public sector land is an essential part of the solution.

Does liberalism win elections? Prospect has published several pieces on this question over the course of the year (see Tim Farron can save the Liberal Democrats by Robin McGhee). In our March issue Philip Collins argued in the affirmative, while shrewdly pointing out that the Labour Party has roots in Liberalism. It would be wise to return to them, he reasons.

Do we patronise those in need, rather than offering them genuine solutions? Professor of Economics Paul Collier answers with a resounding yes. In a provocative piece, he focuses on dispelling myths about what reduces inequality and what doesn’t. To top it all off, he even composes a poem to drill his point home.

The House of Lords isn’t fit for purpose, writes Meg Russell, and she isn’t short of reasons why. She lists five, but says its size should be our number one concern: a shrinking of the Lords is 300 years overdue and is making the chamber less efficient. She proposes a well reasoned system for cutting it down to a more manageable size.

This one was also in our most read articles of 2015 list. Sam Tanenhaus, currently writing a monthly column for us on the Presidential election, writes of how US Senator Moynihan was cast out by the left of his day, and how he fought back. The piece is fascinating for its relevance to today: Tanenhaus surveys the current political landscape and concludes that it’s missing a bit of Daniel Patrick.

Could one man destroy China’s future? Willy Lam argues that through protectionist economic policy and the banning of IT giants like Facebook, Xi Jinping might come close. Lam's claim is that China is cutting itself off from the world. This must-read piece looks at the various facets of the problem–and why China’s middle classes may not put up with their President’s behaviour for much longer.

Putin is pulling two tricks at once, argues Chrystia Freedland. He is pursing aggressive foreign policy measures in the hope that his citizens won’t notice his poor economic record, whilst simultaneously hoping the west is struggling with the 21 ^st century too much to care. It’s a persuasive theory, which we thought cemented this article's place in this list.

As the government of Abdel Fattah el-Sisi is cracks down on his opposition in Egypt, Wendell Steavenson summarises the choice faced by the Egyptian people: stability or freedom? Having previously lived in the country herself, her piece marshals quotes from contacts on the front-line, including Lina Attalah, editor of one of the country's only Independent news websites, Mada Masr.

Emmanuel Macron is a man on a mission, says Christine Ockrent. She profiles the man who’s spicing up Hollande’s government with liberalising reforms, and asks how much further he'll be allowed to go. She also notes that the French version of Spitting Image portrayed him sitting on the government benches in the National Assembly wearing a nappy, so there's that.

Something incredible has happened to London’s schools. In 20 years they have gone from below-average to some of the best in the country. That is in part down to higher funding, but Prospect’s Josh Lowe argues that the improvement really started once schools developed a particular experimental mindset.

Introducing the Docx bonus: a wonderfully simple system designed to spice up Formula One. It’s based on just three words: fans love overtaking. Read on if you care about rejuvenating the sport from its current slump (as Docx sees it), as well as about making F1 more enjoyable for the non-expert viewer.

Peter York charts the trajectory of the "Sloane" over the decades, with reference to the social tribe's bible the Official Sloane Ranger Handbook which he co-authored in 1982. He asks what opportunities exist for the modern Sloane, and argues that to avoid extinction they must make themselves “an aspirational brand”.