Debate: Does Boris Johnson’s Brexit deal have a high chance of passing in the House of Commons? October 18, 2019 Does Boris Johnson’s Brexit deal have a high chance of passing in the House of Commons? Yes – Benedict Spence is a freelance writer If MPs have one thing in mind as “Super Saturday” rapidly approaches, it should be this: the public is watching them closely. Boris Johnson has miraculously returned from Europe with a [...]
DEBATE: Is the Thomas Cook boss right to defend his high pay? October 1, 2019 Is Peter Fankhauser, boss of now-collapsed Thomas Cook, right to defend his high pay and bonuses? YES, says Benedict Spence, a freelance writer. It never sits well, watching those high up the corporate ladder gorge themselves as companies go under. But the case of Peter Fankhauser and Thomas Cook isn’t quite as clear cut as [...]
DEBATE: Does the Hong Kong Exchange boss have any chance of winning over LSE shareholders? September 26, 2019 Does the Hong Kong Exchange boss have any chance of winning over LSE shareholders? YES, says Benedict Spence, a freelance writer. The Hong Kong Stock Exchange’s takeover attempt may not sit well with some elements of the city, nor with some in Westminster, but at a time of insecurity over the future of the nation’s [...]
Three ways to survive the summer heatwave in the workplace July 24, 2019 The heatwave is the worst time of year for the office worker. It’s that awful, sweaty season when resolve – and deodorants – fail en masse. Lethargy permeates the building, work and life slows, and you curse your paycheck for not being able to afford a balcony on your box flat’s window. Not that you’re [...]
Now he’s the face of the £50 note, let’s look at the enduring genius of Alan Turing July 17, 2019 I cannot think of a man more deserving of commemoration by this nation than Alan Turing. It is enlivening that, in an era so dominated by differing ideals of what and who our society should champion, riven by irreconcilable divisions deep within our cultural psyche, such a man might have existed who could bridge at [...]
Would Nigel Farage be a good pick to be the next UK ambassador to the US? July 9, 2019 Would Nigel Farage be a good pick to be the next UK ambassador to the US? Benedict Spence, a freelance writer, says YES. Remove from the equation what you make of the politics of Nigel Farage and Donald Trump, and your suspicions over their relationship. The fact that they have such a relationship would make [...]
Feeling lactose intolerant? A guide to office milk etiquette June 26, 2019 “Got milk?” The answer, if you’re reading this in the office or on your commute, is probably “no”. And if “yes”, it will be followed with “but not for much longer”. We’re all having a good laugh this week at the employee of Doncaster Council, who took the ingrained culture of petty office protectionism to [...]
If you’re bad at remembering names, here’s how to get around the issue June 24, 2019 I have never been good with names. It’s a shame, because I’m pretty good with faces, and can usually tell within seconds of meeting someone whether or not we’re likely to get along. In my first job in London, I worked in an office with just 13 other people. I hit it off with all [...]
DEBATE: With the launch of KFC’s vegan burger, is it smart for fast-food brands to move into veganism? June 19, 2019 With the launch of KFC’s vegan burger, is it smart for fast-food brands to move into veganism? Caroline Dilloway, client service director at StormBrands, says YES. The new vegan burger is undoubtedly a smart move for KFC, and it won’t be the last fast-food brand to move into this space. The incredible rise of consumers [...]
Debate: As National Vegetarian Week ends, will this group outnumber meat eaters in the next decade? May 17, 2019 As National Vegetarian Week ends, will this group outnumber meat eaters in the next decade? YES – Sophie Lewis is chief strategy officer at marketing agency VMLY&R. If you’d asked me two years ago, my answer would have been in the negative, but we’ve reached a cultural tipping point when it comes to both vegetarians [...]
