As chief execs traverse the world of sustainability, they must keep investors onside February 11, 2022 Mayonnaise. The humble condiment is now at the centre of a broader debate about the purpose of business. Last month, Fundsmith’s Terry Smith argued Unilever “had lost the plot” for attempting to define the purpose of Hellman’s. While Smith’s comments on sandwich fillers grabbed headlines, the more revealing point made by Smith was that Unilever [...]
Inside Farrer & Co – the blue-blooded law firm that serves Britain’s aristocracy February 10, 2022 Throughout its 300-year history, Farrer & Co has gained a reputation for being London’s poshest law firm. First established in 1701, the firm is famous for serving the elite and acting on behalf of Britain’s aristocracy. The London firm also has longstanding links to the Royal Family, and currently acts as the Queen’s go-to lawyers. [...]
Explainer-in-brief: Peloton to ride high again February 10, 2022 They were the darling of the pandemic, and then they flopped. The American exercise bike company Peloton was a 15-minute story of fame for the ages. Its fortunes soared as the likes of Rishi Sunak and Miley Cyrus bragged about their secret spinning habit, but after gyms reopened, they floundered. Even more so after they [...]
Want fairness? Beware the opportunistic calls for a windfall tax on energy giants February 10, 2022 Both the Labour and the Lib Dems have proposed a “one-off” windfall tax on the profits of UK oil and gas companies to help families struggling with their energy bills. Surely it’s only fair that giants like BP and Shell, making bumper profits, should be asked to pay a little more? Not quite. For a [...]
Bailey’s wage dilemma is real, but the Bank has dragged its feet on inflation February 10, 2022 It is often argued the signal central banks’ bond buying programmes send to markets is more effective at shaping financial conditions than the purchases themselves. It is all about influencing expectations by sending the message that monetary policy will stay loose. Governor of the Bank of England Andrew Bailey’s message to workers to temper pay [...]
Technology infrastructure investment will prevent the left-behind areas of the future February 10, 2022 THIS year is set to be a pivotal moment for the future of 5G in Britain. Over the last few years, both the government and Ofcom have made clear their intent to get broadband booming in Britain by incentivising major commercial investment. It has largely worked. We’ve seen the accelerated availability of gigabit broadband speeds and [...]
Letters: Bailey and Boris need to talk February 10, 2022 [Re: Boris Johnson lashes out at Andrew Bailey: Do not show pay restraint, Feb 5] Boris Johnson’s vocal disagreement with Andrew Bailey last week was quite a startling development. The Prime Minister was right to distance himself from the comments made by Bailey, which lacked any empathy for the plight of people trying to make [...]
Britain must finally decide on the fate of the Northern Ireland Brexit border February 9, 2022 Pity Liz Truss. Sharp-suited Chancellor Rishi Sunak fired the starting gun on the Tory leadership race last week with his put down of party-king Boris Johnson. He’s immediately seen as the favourite. Liz? Well, fresh from a bout of Covid, the Foreign Secretary has the small matter of trying to catch the Chancellor while sorting [...]
Letters: Don’t mask the variant problem February 9, 2022 [RE: Javid calms new variant fears as government announces NHS vaccine U-turn, Feb 1] The new variant is rightly being treated with great caution by the WHO. There is evidence that the sub variant could be more infectious than the earlier strain of Omicron, but it does not appear to lead to more hospitalisations. The recent [...]
Explainer-in-brief: Jacob Rees-Mogg’s promotion is a post-Brexit peace offering February 9, 2022 Jacob Rees-Mogg’s new cabinet role as the minister for Brexit opportunities will be welcome news for Tory Brexiteers and MPs on the party’s right. The appointment of Rees-Mogg, a Thatcherite and Brexiteer, in today’s reshuffle shows that Boris Johnson intends to accelerate the government’s efforts to shed EU regulation post-Brexit. There have been grumblings by [...]