Grow your audience or double down? The classic mistake made by Brand Trump November 16, 2020 As marketers know well, big ambitious brands cannot continue to grow by simply targeting the same people with the same messages. There comes a point in every major brand’s life when new audiences are needed to grow a following. Somehow, the Trump campaign ignored this, and the President’s failure to understand the need to expand [...]
The biggest loser in the US election: The idea of the loyal opposition November 16, 2020 Edward R. Murrow, the greatest of all American newsmen, got it exactly right about the essence of the miracle of American political stability: “We must not confuse dissent with disloyalty. When the loyal opposition dies, I think the soul of America dies with it.” Before our very eyes, the aftermath of the election of 2020 [...]
In tearing up America’s democratic norms, Donald Trump leaves behind a poisonous legacy November 15, 2020 As I write this, with the states of Nevada, Pennsylvania, Georgia, Arizona, and North Carolina circling around him, the first term of Donald J. Trump as President of the United States is about to come to a shattering end. Notice that I said first term. For there is little doubt that the Republican Party remains [...]
Boris Johnson prepares to U-turn on planning reforms in face of Tory revolt November 15, 2020 Boris Johnson’s planning reforms will be overhauled to quell a bubbling rebellion among Tory backbenchers in another government U-turn. The change will see the planning reforms prioritise new housing in urban areas in the Midlands and the North, instead of in rural South Eastern regions. Many Tory MPs have been railing against the reforms proposed [...]
Trump acknowledges Biden won US election, even though it was ‘rigged’ November 15, 2020 President Donald Trump appeared to acknowledge publicly for the first time today that Democrat Joe Biden won the US presidential election, even though he asserted that it was “rigged”, reiterating his false claims of widespread voting fraud. Trump acknowledged Biden’s victory in a Twitter post in which he listed unsubstantiated allegations of fraud. Biden defeated [...]
Lobbyists given access to confidential government Covid briefings November 15, 2020 An influential lobbyist was given access to UK government Covid briefings on future restrictions and briefed clients about an upcoming lockdown, it has been revealed. Former Sun political editor, and current chairman of Portland Communications, George Pascoe-Watson worked as an unpaid adviser to the UK government during the first wave of Covid in April. He [...]
Snitches get riches: HMRC payments to tax evasion whistleblowers up 63% in 2019/20 November 15, 2020 HMRC reported a 63% increase in payments to whistleblowers for reporting tax evasion in the 2019/2020 tax year, paying £473,000 to informants during the period. In the previous tax year HMRC paid £290,250 to informants – around £182,000 less than in 2019/20. The figures were published in HMRC’s annual reports and accounts 2019 to 2020. [...]
Brexit: ‘Some progress’ made in trade talks this week, says UK negotiator November 15, 2020 There has been “some progress” this week in UK-EU post-Brexit trade talks, according to UK chief negotiator David Frost. Frost tweeted today that the two sides “largely have common draft treaty texts, though significant elements are of course not yet agreed” and that talks will restart today in Brussels. This week’s soft deadline to get [...]
Labour calls for anti-vax conspiracy theories to be censored on social media November 15, 2020 Labour is calling for anti-vaccine conspiracy theories to be censored on social media. The opposition has called for Boris Johnson to bring forward legislation to “stamp out dangerous anti-vax content” as UK regulators prepare to assess Pfizer and BioNTech’s vaccine candidate. Labour wants this to include financial and criminal penalties for social media sites that [...]
Labour turns spotlight on Covid deals between government and Tory donors November 15, 2020 The Shadow Leader of the House of Commons, Valerie Vaz, has said a public inquiry is needed following the publication of a ‘map’ of deals between the UK government, multiple Conservative Party donors, several Tory MPs and some of their family members. Vaz, Labour MP for Walsall South, calls for an investigation into claims made [...]