Starmer must not exploit Ukraine crisis for right-wing votes March 5, 2025 With Trump and Vance attacking causes and values that British voters hold dear, Keir Starmer has to work harder to convey to a country shocked and appalled by the American administration’s behaviour whose side he is on, says Will Cooling As Sir Keir Starmer flew back to London last week, he could have been forgiven [...]
Britain should offer Ukraine our own minerals deal March 4, 2025 The door for Ukraine to co-develop its extensive reserves of rare earth minerals with the US appears all but closed. That’s a golden opportunity for Britain, says Andriy Dovbenko The UK has been a steadfast ally to Ukraine, offering military aid and economic support. However, the new £2.26bn loan extended to Ukraine presents an opportunity [...]
A win on the world stage masks mounting trouble at home March 4, 2025 Keir Starmer has won plaudits for his decision to increase defence spending (albeit by less than the amount he’s given Ed Miliband to run a pretend energy company) and voters appear to be firmly behind the PM’s decision to fund this modest splurge by raiding the international development budget. The latest City AM Freshwater Strategy [...]
How have women’s pensions fared over the last 100 years? March 4, 2025 This year marks 115 years of International Women's Day, but how have women's pensions changed in that time?
Higher executive pay is not a silver bullet for UK competitiveness March 4, 2025 Whilst competitive pay is undoubtedly a factor in attracting and retaining talent, it is rarely the sole, or even a major, determinant of a company’s decision to list in a particular market, says Paul Arathoon The recent moves by some of the FTSE 100’s largest companies, such as British American Tobacco and Compass Group, to [...]
AI-men: How Gen Z will join religions created by algorithms March 4, 2025 Bespoke belief systems like tarot and astrology are already gaining popularity with Gen Z – AI will take it further, offering bespoke doctrines, machine-learning-driven prophecies and virtual deities that evolve based on user data, says Paul Armstrong Spirituality is evolving, and Gen Z is leading the charge. Traditional religious affiliation is in freefall (43 out [...]
Starmer’s defence policy is popular, but voters still don’t rate him March 4, 2025 There are decades where nothing happens, and there are weeks where decades happen. This quote — often attributed to history’s other murderous Vladimir, Soviet leader Lenin — could not describe the last week more aptly. The heart-sinking scene of Donald Trump and JD Vance locked in a tense, antagonistic exchange with Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the [...]
Sadiq Khan’s plan to ‘turbocharge’ London’s economy is wilfully naive March 3, 2025 Sadiq Khan’s London Growth Plan is an admirable and ambitious vision for the capital, but its bold projections should be taken with a pinch of salt, says James Ford When running for his historic third term last year, Sadiq Khan claimed to be the “most pro-business Mayor ever”. Now he is putting his money where [...]
Three ways to restore confidence in UK public markets March 3, 2025 To reignite confidence in our public markets, we need domestic reforms that increase liquidity, foster investor confidence, and provide more avenues for capital flow, says Alastair King As Lord Mayor I have the privilege of traveling the world promoting London as a global financial powerhouse. Liberalised trade opens doors for stronger partnerships, smoother business, and [...]
Elon Musk is paying the price for mixing business with politics March 3, 2025 Tesla sales are collapsing in Europe as the public are put off by Elon Musk’s vocal support for Donald Trump. It’s an object lesson in how politics can come at a cost to business, says Eliot Wilson Last week it was reported that Tesla sales in Europe fell by 45 per cent in January compared [...]