They call it ‘the idiot box’ for a reason… June 11, 2019 The competition to become leader of the Conservative Party – and, by default, prime minister – is still in its early stages, yet has already been extraordinary. We peaked at 13 hopefuls, which has now been whittled down to ten registered runners, of whom five are members of the current cabinet (four of the others resigned [...]
Brexit dogma is a one-way ticket to extinction for London’s Tories June 11, 2019 As 11 candidates prepare to enter the race to succeed Theresa May as Conservative party leader and Prime Minister, London Tories have their own identity crisis to worry about. They just chalked up a new electoral record: 7.8 per cent of the vote, fifth place citywide, and zero MEPs returned to the European parliament. Ex-Tory [...]
CEOs take note: No one knows what you actually do June 11, 2019 In an age when the leader of the free world promotes himself as the CEO-in-chief and the New Establishment leaders of Silicon Valley appear like celebrities in the public consciousness, it would be reasonable to assume that society understands the role of those who lead business. On the contrary: over half of UK workers admit [...]
Don’t believe the hype, Apple is no better at privacy than any other tech company June 11, 2019 Apple, much loved by its users, is jumping on the privacy bandwagon. Announcing the launch of its service “sign in with Apple” last week, this single sign-on promises to protect your privacy. It all sounds great, until you take a closer look at what privacy actually means to Apple. This single sign-on service protects some [...]
DEBATE: Are candidates’ drug histories relevant in the Conservative leadership contest? June 11, 2019 Are candidates’ drug histories relevant in the Conservative leadership contest? Edward Davies, director of policy at the Centre for Social Justice, says YES. The Centre for Social Justice was founded on the premise that we are not defined by our worst mistakes, that everyone deserves another chance, and nothing should hold you back from reaching [...]
Enough of Brexit, time for a Tory vision of modern Britain June 11, 2019 Theresa May’s premiership is almost over – but there is just time for one last undignified squabble. The Prime Minister reportedly hopes to spend a few billion on her key domestic priorities, in an attempt to add some black ink to the sea of red in her political ledger. But Philip Hammond is insisting on [...]
South Korea is shifting to the left, but pro-capitalists are fighting back June 10, 2019 At this year’s Cannes film festival, the South Korean director Bong Joon-ho was awarded the coveted Palme d’Or for his satire Parasite. The film is an attack on capitalism: a poor family insinuate themselves as servants into a much richer one. One of the film’s core messages is that it is almost impossible to bridge [...]
By working together, we can clean up London’s air quality and stop pollution June 10, 2019 With state visits and political leadership battles dominating the news, it’s unsurprising that the environment – particularly air quality – isn’t at the top of the agenda. But Londoners are determined to see a major clean-up of the capital’s air, and we can’t afford to take our foot off the pedal. Much of central London [...]
D-Day offers some perspective for anyone consumed with the current ‘national crisis’ June 7, 2019 On Monday, I took part in BBC Radio 4’s Start the Week, which this week focused on the concept of a national crisis – and how countries get out of it. Academic and author Jared Diamond’s new book Upheaval draws parallels between how an individual deals with a personal crisis to how nations overcome them. [...]
DEBATE: President Donald Trump’s state visit faced protests in London. Is it possible to separate the man from the office? June 7, 2019 As people protest Donald Trump’s state visit, is it possible to separate the man from the office? YES, says Olivia Utley, deputy editor at TheArticle. Heads of state and prime ministers, as their name tags at international conferences suggest, represent their states, not themselves. International relations, particularly in a complex multi-polar world, require that we [...]