Boardroom shakeup at Buckingham Palace January 14, 2020 A shock decision that caught the establishment by surprise has led to rancour and division. Now, after hectic negotiations during which the media lapped up spin from each side, it looks as if a Canada-style deal is on the cards — following a pragmatic transition period. But this ain’t Brexit folks, it’s the modern monarchy [...]
Signs of an economy trying to grow January 13, 2020 The capital starts the new decade with a spring in its step. In fact, it bounced along nicely (and ahead of the rest of the country) throughout last year, and still found space to cash in some pent-up investment in the wake of Boris Johnson’s electoral victory. London’s dominance is a familiar story, but given [...]
Corbyn’s defeat won’t end the debate about capitalism January 10, 2020 The city, the wider business community and, indeed, our entire market economy may have escaped the ravages of Corbynism, but that doesn’t mean questions about corporate conduct or the nature of modern capitalism will fall away. Nor does it mean that business leaders and advocates of liberal, free-market economics should step back from addressing issues [...]
Labour refuses to learn the lessons of defeat January 8, 2020 Having overseen Labour’s worst defeat since the 1930s Jeremy Corbyn called for “a period of reflection”. Unfortunately, this overlaps with the campaign to replace him, so instead of ruminating on the reasons for their electoral humiliation Labour MPs are busy pandering to a party membership that still thinks Corbyn was right and the voters were [...]
Retail landscape will continue to evolve January 7, 2020 At first glance, the £50m deal to convert a north London retail park into a warehouse and logistics hub is a perfect representation of the forces upending an embattled sector. The relentless rise of online shopping and home delivery means plots like the Ravenside site in Edmonton, snapped up by warehousing giant Prologis, is worth [...]
A no-deal EU exit is still an unlikely outcome December 17, 2019 Well, that didn’t take long. Just a few days after Boris Johnson’s thumping majority sent sterling up to pre-referendum highs, his flirtation with a no-deal exit brought it back down to earth yesterday. Read more: CBI welcomes Prime Minister’s Brexit trade deal deadline But are the markets (heaven forbid) missing something? The government is embarking [...]
What will Johnsonism look like in practice? December 16, 2019 The ramifications of last week’s General Election will be felt far and wide. Politically, the size and nature of the new Tory majority poses questions for all parties. Labour is in its worst position for more than 80 years, and the shock of its defeat appears to have affected the party’s ability to confront reality. [...]
A dramatic result that changes everything December 13, 2019 The battle for Brexit is over. If Boris Johnson returns to Westminster with anything close to the majority predicted by the sensational exit poll, he will deliver his “oven ready” Brexit deal faster than a Deliveroo drone. We will leave the EU by the end of January and enter the transition phase. After that, Johnson [...]
This Labour party does not deserve your support, however tactical or temporary you consider it to be December 12, 2019 Today you’ll have the opportunity to vote in the most consequential election for 40 years. You’ll have your own motivations and concerns, your own views on what constitutes a good result. Maybe one party’s victory is something you hope for, maybe it’s something you dread. For a lot of readers, the outcome may not be [...]
An advert for what can go wrong in ad-land December 11, 2019 One of the grandest advertising agencies has lost some of its grandest names. Co-founder (and until last night, executive director) Maurice Saatchi joins Lord Michael Dobbs, Sir Michael Peat and Lorna Tilbian in a boardroom exodus. M&C Saatchi chairman Jeremy Sinclair said “we have accepted the decision of these directors to resign.” No thanks for the [...]
