Eat, Drink, Sleep, Repeat: Our top food columnist on his favourite New York dining spots April 24, 2025 Restaurants can have a greater purpose than simply offering heightened hospitality; this week I met the CEO’s of the ‘Only a Pavement Away’ charity and ‘Not for sale’ movement, both of which I worked with for the past eight years as CEO of Gaucho and M restaurants. OAPA identifies disadvantaged, vulnerable people often due for [...]
Black cabs stand ready to compete with Uber, but not in a race to the bottom April 24, 2025 The London tax trade is a rigged market where app-based operators have enjoyed years of political indulgence while black cabs are subjected to an ever-tougher regulatory environment, says Mark White James Ford’s recent City AM column – ‘The London taxi trade is dying – and it’s not Uber’s fault’ – is less a diagnosis than [...]
Ford on the hook for £61m in motor finance scandal April 22, 2025 Ford has set aside as much as £61m as it becomes the latest company to be stung by the motor finance scandal. The American car manufacturer’s subsidiary FCE Bank made the provision for its British motor finance division in its latest accounts. The Essex-based FCE Bank said the provision reflected “estimated economic outflow” should a [...]
Councils turn digital as budget pressures mount April 17, 2025 Councils across the UK are ramping up spending on technology and service design as financial pressures mount and demand for services grows. The Department of Science, Innovation and Technology hopes that digitising public sector services could unlock up to £45bn a year in productivity gains. “This makes digitisation the most powerful lever available to drive [...]
The London taxi trade is dying, and it only has itself to blame April 17, 2025 A new report has predicted the demise of the iconic London taxi, and Uber isn't to blame, writes James Ford.
Jaecoo is the new SUV in town and it’s coming for Land Rover April 12, 2025 You’ve probably never heard of the car brand Jaecoo before, but you’re about to start seeing a lot of them. The Jaecoo 7 boasts the three things most motorists in the UK are looking for in a new set of wheels: It’s a mid-size SUV; it’s hybrid with fantastic fuel economy and all the latest [...]
Ex-Google boss Eric Schmidt buys £42m London mansion April 8, 2025 Former Google chief Eric Schmidt has bought a London mansion for £42m in the latest sign that wealthy American buyers are becoming major players in the capital’s property market. According to FT, Schmidt bought the double-fronted, Victoria-era Holland Park mansion last May and plans to rent it out. The deal follows purchases from many other [...]
Dacia Bigster review: Budget family SUV is dressed for success April 3, 2025 Dacia has come a long way from its Romanian roots, back when it built rebadged versions of the Renault 8 and 12. In 2024, the Sandero supermini was Europe’s best-selling car, well ahead of the Renault Clio and Volkswagen Golf. And in the UK, Dacia shifted a record-breaking 31,500 vehicles – up 10 percent on [...]
Estée Lauder loses over £360m as it prepares to cut jobs March 26, 2025 Estée Lauder, the beauty giant behind brands such as Clinique, MAC, and Jo Malone, has slumped to a loss of more than £360m in the UK and Ireland as it prepares to cut thousands of jobs. The US multi-national, which is also the owner of Bobbi Brown, Aveda and Tom Ford, posted a pre-tax loss [...]
Best sports cars to buy in 2025 March 25, 2025 We appear to be falling out of love with sports cars. Registrations are down across Europe, with some models seeing a major slump in sales. Blame the popularity of SUVs or soaring household bills, but it isn’t down to a lack of choice. Indeed, our list of the best sports cars shows a segment in [...]