City Airport expansion is a boost for London July 28, 2016 Recent political events have thrown any decision on UK airport expansion further into doubt. Even before the referendum and subsequent resignation of David Cameron, it was tough to pin down exactly what the government was minded to do about the pressing need to expand capacity in the south east. Throughout the debate (which looks set [...]
The case for Hinkley Point C has collapsed: It’s time to scrap it July 28, 2016 Assuming its unions have not succeeded in stopping it, the board of EDF is today expected to wave through a decision on Hinkley C, the first new nuclear power station in the UK for 20 years and, at £18bn, the world’s most expensive power station. It’s easy to forget, Hinkley C was the future once. [...]
Charities must think more like business to stay ahead in a tough new environment July 28, 2016 An independent report published this week shows that the Prince’s Trust, the charity of which I am chairman, has returned £1.4bn in social value over the last 10 years. It is a figure of which we are immensely proud. Behind it lies a myriad of human stories. We have helped to transform thousands of young lives, [...]
We can’t trust Remainers to ensure that Brexit really does mean Brexit July 28, 2016 This has, so far, been the year of the underdog: Leicester won the Premiership, Hibernian the Scottish Cup, Portugal the European Football Championship, and the Leave camp the greatest bloodless political coup since the Glorious Revolution of 1688. This triumph of democracy has engendered a real sense of optimism and renewal. Unfortunately, things by their [...]
After pledging a wealth tax and an end to austerity, would Owen Smith be just as bad as Jeremy Corbyn? July 28, 2016 Brendan O’Neill, editor of Spiked, says Yes. Corbyn versus Smith is the least inspiring leadership spat in living memory. On one side, a man who looks like he wandered out of the 1970s, a beardy, lefty version of Austin Powers, always saying stuff that’s decades out of date. And on the other, an edge-free technocrat whose [...]
Did Mastercard really need to launch its first rebrand in 20 years? July 27, 2016 Mastercard unveiled its first rebrand in twenty years earlier this month and the reaction to its new design has so far been pretty positive. But does it have that very modern measure of success: shareability? On initial inspection, the new design can seem a little underwhelming, especially considering it’s the first time the branding for [...]
A woman Prime Minister. So what? July 27, 2016 Much has been made of the fact that we have our second women Prime Minister. But the question remains, what difference does it really make? In my view her appointment has multiple significance and presents us with a major opportunity. Firstly, it still has a huge symbolic value to see a woman running the country. The message that [...]
Here are the key challenges the new pensions minister will face July 27, 2016 The recent reshuffle meant a whole host of new ministerial faces both at the Treasury and the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). These new ministers will have a full agenda when it comes to pensions. At DWP, the new secretary of state is Damian Green, who will be responsible for controlling welfare spending and getting people back [...]
Hermes must stamp out its negative brand image July 27, 2016 As the online shopping boom has evolved, companies providing ad hoc deliveries have expanded quickly. However, this growth may have come at a price. A probe by the Guardian into parcel company Hermes underlines the impact of the ‘gig economy’ on workers across several industries. The paper’s investigation suggests that workers were, on occasion, effectively [...]
Brexit won’t kill the EU: It’s more likely to be a long-term blessing July 26, 2016 Britain's vote to leave the European Union has engulfed the kingdom in a political, constitutional and economic storm. But it has also plunged Europe into uncharted waters. It may not be prepared for this challenging, uncertain course. We’ve so far witnessed a striking lack of consensus among policy-makers. This is not only in regards to [...]