Is it ever ok to wear shorts to the office? August 6, 2026 During a long, hot summer in the capital, an age- old debate has reared its head: should men ever wear shorts to the office? James Ford explains why it is never, ever ok. No. It isn’t. Not even in a heatwave. End of. Full stop. At the risk of incurring my editor’s ire, I’m tempted [...]
In Jason Arday, Cambridge is discovering the dangers of DEI August 6, 2026 The row over Jason Arday, Cambridge’s “youngest black professor”, raises serious questions about the corrosive role Diversity, Equality & Inclusion (DEI) has come to play in institutions, businesses and society at large, says Ike Ijeh Plagiarism is older than Ancient Greece but, unlike imitation, it is the least sincere form of flattery. However, until the [...]
Give London power to level up the rest of the country August 6, 2026 If Andy Burnham is to make a success of his devolution agenda he must give London more powers and money to invest in the main drivers of the whole country’s international competitiveness, says Patrick Diamond The new prime minister, Andy Burnham, has put devolution and economic growth at the heart of his government’s narrative. London [...]
Britain needs a new Richard Branson August 5, 2026 Richard Branson continues to be the best champion the UK has as a place to do business despite founding his first business decades ago. Branson is a global success, but he should have a successor by now, says Philip Salter A few months after England lifted the 1966 World Cup, Sir Richard Branson started working [...]
On this day: the birth of press freedom August 5, 2026 On 5th August 1735 John Peter Zenger was acquitted of seditious libel on the basis that the criticisms of the government he has printed in The New York Weekly Journal were true. It was a judgement that established the basis of press freedom on which western democracy still depends, writes Eliot Wilson By the end [...]
The only answers to over-tourism are prices or queues August 5, 2026 Major tourism sites are becoming over crowded as a result of rational herd behaviour. The inevitable result will be charges or queues, says Paul Ormerod Peak holiday season, and the media is full of stories and pictures of popular sites across Europe being overwhelmed by the crowds of visitors. Shots on social media show the [...]
The Debate: should we release female prisoners to make space for men? August 5, 2026 Could an answer to the prison overcrowding crisis be to let out women offenders? Two writers go head to head Yes: We are locking up women who’ve been failed by the system Right now, prisons contain women who shouldn’t be there. Prison doesn’t work and it harms women. Almost 70 per cent of women in [...]
Gary Stevenson is right, rich people want to help Britain – here’s how to let them do it August 5, 2026 Gary Stevenson and the ‘Patriotic Millionaires’ plan for a wealth tax is the wrong way to get wealth working for Britain. Here’s three much better ideas, says Nick Finegold A fortnight ago, 120 millionaires, including Gary Stevenson and Gary Lineker, wrote to Andy Burnham asking to be taxed more. I do not doubt their sincerity. [...]
David Brent was supposed to be a satire, now he looks like a model for political leaders August 5, 2026 Attention-seeking, self-absorbed and desperate to be liked, David Brent was meant to embody everything a leader should not be – but today’s media landscape rewards the very qualities Ricky Gervais satirised, says Tim Focas A Tiktok clip has gone viral for comparing Andy Burnham to David Brent. His cheesy mannerisms, dad dancing and guitar playing [...]
What Burnham could learn from BP’s pragmatism August 5, 2026 In 2020, BP unveiled a “major, necessary step in support of our purpose to reimagine energy for people and our planet.” The new strategy – “performing while transforming” – would see the firm “significantly scale-up our low carbon energy business” as part of a commitment “to become a net zero company by 2050 or sooner [...]