On This Day in 1865: Lord Northcliffe, godfather of the tabloids, was born July 15, 2026 Alfred Harmsworth, founder of the Daily Mail, was born into poverty on this day and went on to change the face of the British media and become enobled as Lord Northcliffe, writes Eliot Wilson Newspapers go back as far as the early 17th century, with general agreement that the first was the Strasbourg-based Relation aller [...]
World Cup: England must do it for the Falklands July 15, 2026 Whether England wins or loses against Argentina tonight, moments of national pride should be a shared opportunity to celebrate our past – including victory in the Falklands war, says Joseph Dinnage The build-up to the World Cup semi-final between England and Argentina has revealed two different breeds of football pundit. I refer you to two [...]
Argentina’s already beating England… on economic freedom July 15, 2026 Javier Milei’s free market reforms are turning the Argentinian economy around. The UK could learn a few lessons from this Margaret Thatcher fan, says Alys Denby When Britain took on Argentina in the Falklands war, we were fighting a brutal military dictatorship which tortured its citizens and invaded the sovereign territory of ours. Tonight, England [...]
In praise of Count Binface July 15, 2026 By standing in the impending by-election in Clacton, Count Binface has more than proved his worth to both comedy and democracy, says James Ford I must confess to having a conflicted attitude to Count Binface. On the one hand, the former political adviser within me (who is, of course, a profound political snob) tends to [...]
You don’t have to be psychopathic to work in the City… but it helps July 15, 2026 The perfect CV? 60 per cent genius and 40 per cent psychopath, says author and former 'Cityboy' Geraint Anderson in today's Notebook.
BNPL regulation is proof that industry and regulators can work together successfully July 15, 2026 It’s often argued that government regulation can hamper innovation, growth and competition. However, new regulations on Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL), which come into force today, demonstrate that government, regulators and industry can successfully collaborate to improve consumer outcomes, while also supporting retail and tech sectors. Since Clearpay launched in the UK in 2019, we’ve [...]
Tax online businesses more to save Britain’s struggling high streets July 14, 2026 Labour promised to reform business rates to level the playing field between online and physical businesses. It's time to make true.
Here’s an idea for you Gary Stevenson: a 0 per cent wealth tax July 14, 2026 Gary Stevenson’s success lies in translating a highly complicated economic problem into an emotional story people instinctively understand. The trouble is that successful communication is not really about popularity, it is about ensuring the policy underpinning the message can survive contact with a political and economic reality, says Tim Focas Eye catching, the audience wants [...]
Could an England World Cup win boost the markets? July 14, 2026 The equity markets of World Cup-winning countries frequently outperform immediately after victory. A Goldman Sachs study of tournaments from 1974-2014 found that every winner except Brazil in 2002 subsequently enjoyed a period of market outperformance, says Helen Thomas If football finally came home, what might it do for financial markets, aside from a late start [...]
Kemi Badenoch’s economic revolution could set the City free July 14, 2026 Abolishing bank ring-fencing, recalibrating capital requirements, and replacing the Financial Ombudsman Service are essential steps to remove stifling regulations and reignite growth, says Norbert Sobolak No political party in Britain has set out a positive agenda for the financial services sector since the 2008 crisis. The reticence is understandable; after 2008, defending finance won no [...]