It’s time for Labour to wake up and smell the coffee February 11, 2020 Following their third consecutive electoral drubbing in 2005, Lord (Michael) Ashcroft set out to offer the Conservative party some frank advice. His book, Smell the Coffee, was a forensic account of where the party was going wrong and why they were unpopular. It played a big part in David Cameron’s subsequent modernisation project. Today, Lord [...]
Businesses must take a hard look in the mirror to understand their corporate purpose February 11, 2020 Fifty years ago, Nobel-winning economist Milton Friedman published an article in which he analysed the relationship between business and corporate social responsibility. The commentary was driven by the principle that the sole responsibility of business was “to use its resources and engage in activities designed to increase its profits so long as it stays within [...]
Don’t dismiss the apprenticeship levy — it could fix the UK’s productivity puzzle February 11, 2020 The UK economy is not what it was 50 or even 20 year ago. We are an economy driven by services, data, and technology. As such, we need skilled managers to run the teams and operations that keep UK businesses at the forefront of innovation and change. The apprenticeship levy is a brilliant tool for [...]
Nike may have already won the Tokyo Olympics… and that’s OK February 11, 2020 Eliud Kipchoge captured the imagination and admiration of millions when he broke the mythical two-hour barrier for the marathon in Vienna last October. For 26 miles and 385 yards, the Kenyan ran faster than most can sprint, crossing the line in 1 hour 59 minutes 40.2 seconds. Broadcast live on mainstream TV, it was a [...]
How can Elon Musk keep Tesla on the straight and narrow? February 11, 2020 After a rough start to the year, Tesla ended 2019 by delivering on a promise to Wall Street. The pledge made in the summer of 2019 by Tesla chief executive Elon Musk was to return to profit after months of losses, a string of negative headlines — including his forced resignation as chairman in 2018 [...]
DEBATE: Could AI ever win an Oscar? February 11, 2020 Could AI ever win an Oscar? John Gikopoulos, global head of AI and automation at Infosys Consulting, says YES. It’s entirely possible, and plausible, that artificial intelligence (AI) could soon win an Oscar. With the South Korean film Parasite winning Best Picture this year — the first ever foreign language film to do so — [...]
Nice try housing secretary, but your ‘First Homes’ policy will do nothing to solve the housing crisis February 11, 2020 There is a housing crisis in this country. In our cities in particular, the majority of people are spending a significant chunk of their income on rent or are unable to afford to move out of the family home. The idea of home ownership is now a pipe dream for many young people — a [...]
Sajid Javid: I’ll give the City the flexibility it needs to thrive outside the EU February 10, 2020 Now that we have left the EU, we begin a new chapter in our history. Strengthened by a decade of economic recovery, we will step forward with confidence into an era of unity and renewal. We will level up, decarbonise our economy, and back business. Our world-leading financial services sector will play a crucial role [...]
The government must recognise that the BBC is invaluable to ‘Brand Britain’ February 10, 2020 Perhaps it was always inevitable that an organisation defined by its impartiality would be surrounded by politics. The BBC’s licence fee is in the news once again as the government looks to culture secretary Nicky Morgan to review how the corporation should be funded once the current charter ends in 2027. At the heart of [...]
Levelling up does not require cutting down February 10, 2020 Towards the end of last year, this column suggested that 2020 “could be the year when the voice of the provinces is heard more clearly than the roar of the metropolis”. We recognised that the seizure by the Tories of scores of formerly safe Labour seats would mean a recalibration of Conservative priorities, indeed — [...]