Topshoppers are not put off by Sir Philip Green’s troubles April 17, 2019 Last week, Sir Philip Green appointed restructuring specialists to the boards of his Arcadia retail empire in preparation for a major reconfiguration in May to tackle the company’s £500m deficit. Green has pinned Arcadia’s struggles on a challenging retail market and the ailing British high street, however Arcadia’s brands may have been affected by his [...]
Trevor Steven: Manchester City’s make-or-break week in their quadruple bid starts against Tottenham April 16, 2019 Last week I was lucky enough to visit Manchester City’s training facilities and witness how they are building not only success on the pitch but also a global brand. It was mind-blowing; they are so ahead of the game, I have never seen anything like it. Winning the quadruple would be the ultimate endorsement of [...]
Can European banks be saved by mergers and a fresh round of deal making? April 16, 2019 The comparisons with US peers just got a lot harder for European banks after a strong showing from JP Morgan to kick off earnings season. But could there be fresh revenue on the way for European investment banks, even if it is of their own making? There’s a mooted capital raising for Deutsche Bank before [...]
Monetary policy is too crucial to leave in Labour’s meddling hands April 16, 2019 Even by Donald Trump’s standards, it was an extremely Donald Trump thing to do. Last week, the President nominated Herman Cain for a seat on the board of the Federal Reserve, attempting to hand oversight of the world’s largest economy to a maverick gold-standard enthusiast. The nomination appears to be doomed, largely because of the [...]
Leadership needs a rethink to keep up with the modern world April 16, 2019 The problems in leadership won’t have escaped you. They’re all around – from Oxfam and the Catholic Church in the not-for-profit world, to Bernie Madoff, Libor-rigging, and Volkswagen in the private sector. What do all these have in common? Was it a lack of information? No – in the age of data, all these organisations knew [...]
DEBATE: With the launch of his new Brexit Party, is Nigel Farage back as a serious force in politics? April 16, 2019 With the launch of his new Brexit Party, is Nigel Farage back as a serious force in politics? Lucy Harris, director of Leavers of Britain, says YES. Nigel Farage’s new Brexit Party has come out with an upbeat message and a fresh look – and that’s what many Leave voters are desperately searching for in this [...]
Scrapping no-fault eviction is a start, but Generation Rent deserves more April 16, 2019 Britain’s renters may well be celebrating the government’s plan to scrap Section 21, a landlord’s legal right to evict a tenant on a so-called “no fault” basis. The announcement on Monday is a step towards making tenants more secure in their homes, following recent research from Royal London, which found that nearly half of children in [...]
Shamima Begum: accused or outlaw? April 15, 2019 The Legal Aid Agency has announced that Shamima Begum, the so-called “IS Bride”, will receive financial assistance to contest the removal of her UK citizenship which home secretary Sajid Javid decreed earlier this year. The decision to grant Ms Begum legal aid has been controversial, with the foreign secretary Jeremy Hunt saying that it makes [...]
Sam Torrance: Tiger Woods has silenced his doubters with sport’s greatest comeback April 15, 2019 What Tiger Woods achieved on Sunday at Augusta National is almost indescribable. His fifth Masters win and first Major title for 11 years is certainly the best comeback in the history of golf and quite possibly in any sport. It’s difficult to think of anything comparable. To go through the injuries and personal problems that [...]
You can’t blame Brexit for the British car industry’s woes April 15, 2019 Quizzed by Nick Hewer on Honda’s decision to close its Swindon plant earlier this month on BBC radio, I suggested that blaming Brexit for the demise of the Japanese auto makers factory with the loss of 3,500 jobs was not the whole story. Certainly, Brexit plays havoc with the vehicle industry’s sophisticated just-in-time supply chain. [...]