Michael Gove has finally entered the cladding fray, but the fight isn’t over January 14, 2022 Among the political shambles of this week, something remarkable happened: someone stepped in to say a word or two about how to fix the cladding crisis. This someone was the Secretary of State for Levelling up, Housing and Communities, Michael Gove. His intervention was met with relief that an issue which has languished on the [...]
Does mayo need a purpose? It’s time for a corporate governance reset at Unilever January 14, 2022 The City should take heed of Terry Smith’s recent comments on Unilever’s obsession with publicly displaying its sustainability credentials at the expense of focusing on the fundamentals of the business. Last year, chief executive Alan Jope claimed the purpose of Hellmann’s mayonnaise was “fighting against food waste.” It was a symptom of a wider malaise [...]
Shots for Covid-19 shots? It’s time to dangle carrots to tempt the unvaccinated January 14, 2022 Yesterday, self-isolation rules for those with Covid-19 were cut to five days. This marks a milestone as the UK plots its way out of a gamble of a winter strategy to keep the virus at bay. The enduring problem, however, is the number of unvaccinated people in the UK filling up hospital beds. The risk [...]
The art of the Boris apology: I’m sorry for everything but also for nothing January 13, 2022 If you have ever played monopoly, you’ll know there is a certain flex in the rules – unless they’re being used against you. Sure, it’s fine if your incarcerated opponent doesn’t collect rent when you land on their property because they’re under the mistaken belief you can’t earn money in jail. But when the tables [...]
Chief executives are distracted by the shiny lights of ESG and social media January 13, 2022 During the EU referendum campaign I encouraged my team to turn off all social media. As the Director of Communications for Vote Leave, this might seem like an odd instruction, given we were charged with understanding the mood of the British public. But the truth is it’s all too easy to get distracted by the [...]
In an age of Netflix, Britain’s public broadcasters must step up to the challenge January 13, 2022 The BBC has become a lightning rod for debate over the role of public service broadcasting and its role in our society. As the broadcaster prepares for its mid-term charter review and Channel 4 faces down the challenge of privatisation, we must re-evaluate how we look at the notion of maximum possible benefit to the [...]
The UK can reap the rewards of Brexit if digital trade is at the heart of our strategy January 13, 2022 Digital trade has soared to prominence and with it comes the need to negotiate new rules for this wildly different market. It’s estimated the digital economy accounted for 22.5 percent of worldwide GDP last year, and with significant challenges facing international travel for both people and goods, this is set only to grow. Fortunately, it [...]
Opinion-in-brief: Labour’s call for a windfall tax reminds of Blairite times January 12, 2022 Emboldened by improved polling results and a government embroiled in scandals, Labour has proposed a £1.2bn windfall tax on offshore North Sea oil and gas companies – which it thinks could help shave £200 off average energy bills. UK households are potentially facing a £700 hike bills when the consumer price cap is updated in [...]
Letters: When the chips are up January 12, 2022 [Re: Samsung estimates 52 per cent profit boost as demand for chips rockets, January 7] Last week, Samsung reported a 52 per cent increase in profits for the end of 2021. The tech giant estimated that it made 13.8tn won (£8.5bn) in the period, thanks to strong demand for server memory chips and higher profit [...]
Boris Johnson’s rudderless levelling up plan must be anchored in business January 12, 2022 It was Winston Churchill who famously stunned a waiter by asking them to take back his pudding. “There’s no theme!” he bellowed. One man undoubtedly aware of this is Boris Johnson – the Prime Minister who wrote an effusive biography of Britain’s wartime leader before trying to emulate him in Downing Street. It comes to [...]