DEBATE: In light of the row over alleged bias in the Telegraph’s survey, is there any point to polls? August 14, 2019 In light of the row over alleged bias in the Telegraph’s survey, is there any point to polls? Olivia Utley, deputy editor at TheArticle, says YES. Since the dawn of polling, people have found imaginative ways of getting the result they want. And the ComRes team who found that a majority of people would back [...]
Full-fibre broadband will power our next industrial revolution August 14, 2019 On the campaign trail, Boris Johnson made a bold pledge to deliver full-fibre digital connections to every home in the land. As the new government gets down to work, there is no time to waste in turning that rhetoric into reality. The UK led the way in the first industrial revolution, and should do the [...]
What was behind Friday’s National Grid outage? Network theory, not conspiracy August 14, 2019 National Grid is getting a kicking in the aftermath of last Friday’s electricity blackout. Potential explanations swirl around both social and mainstream media. The system cannot cope with too much wind-generated electricity. The Russians hacked into the computers. A puzzling aspect is that the initial shock to the National Grid was a very small one. [...]
Ad watchdog must tread carefully as it tackles social harms August 14, 2019 Times are changing for the advertising watchdog. Founded in 1962, the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) was built on the principle of keeping ads legal, decent, honest and truthful, providing scrutiny to dubious claims made by brands. In recent years, however, the ASA has seen its jurisdiction expand. In 2004, the regulator added TV and radio to its roster of [...]
Computer says no: Workers waste millions of hours a year because of mediocre technology August 13, 2019 We have all been there. Waiting impatiently at the start of a meeting for documents and conferencing applications to load; the frustration when your device crashes after working two hours on a document that didn’t auto-save; or having to travel hours to a meeting because it’s just not possible to do it remotely. These are [...]
DEBATE: Is Caroline Lucas’ all-female ‘emergency cabinet’ a good idea for avoiding a no-deal Brexit? August 13, 2019 Is Caroline Lucas’ all-female ‘emergency cabinet’ a good idea for avoiding a no-deal Brexit? Kimberly McIntosh, senior policy officer at Race on the Agenda, says YES. At a time when compromise is absent, good faith gone and solutions scarce, radical proposals to stop a no-deal Brexit are a welcome change of pace. An all-women cabinet [...]
Free schools show how hard it can be to battle the Blob August 13, 2019 It was Michael Gove who popularised the term “the Blob” to describe the establishment forces battling his education reforms. It’s such a perfect description, because it captures the experience of anyone who tries to change the system – a constant, oozing pressure, flowing around your positions until they’re completely swallowed up. Another education minister, George [...]
The wings of the Red Arrows are elevating UK trade interests across North America August 13, 2019 IT IS more than a decade since the unique sight of the Red Arrows – Britain airborne in formation – was last seen in the skies of the United States Yesterday, they took to the skies in Canada at the Gatineau Airshow, marking the beginning of an 11-week tour of North America, which includes visits [...]
From subsidies to social unrest, China is keeping markets awake August 13, 2019 August has already been eventful for US-China relations. Last week, China suspended purchases of US farm products in response to an escalation in American tariffs, meaning that President Donald Trump won’t get the great agriculture orders that he tweeted about so enthusiastically in June. African Swine Fever means that there are fewer pigs in China [...]
By trolling Anthony Scaramucci, Trump has crossed a line August 12, 2019 When I woke up on Sunday, like a lot of entrepreneurs and people who work in the media, I reached for my smartphone to check Twitter (Mrs B was still asleep; I am an early riser). One story that caught my eye straight away was President Trump – where would Twitter be without him, or [...]