David Brent was supposed to be a satire, now he looks like a model for political leaders Opinion Attention-seeking, self-absorbed and desperate to be liked, David Brent was meant to embody everything a leader should not be – but today’s media landscape rewards the very qualities Ricky Gervais satirised, says Tim Focas A Tiktok clip has gone viral for comparing Andy Burnham to David Brent. His cheesy mannerisms, dad dancing and guitar playing [...]
Here’s an idea for you Gary Stevenson: a 0 per cent wealth tax Opinion Gary Stevenson’s success lies in translating a highly complicated economic problem into an emotional story people instinctively understand. The trouble is that successful communication is not really about popularity, it is about ensuring the policy underpinning the message can survive contact with a political and economic reality, says Tim Focas Eye catching, the audience wants [...]
SpaceX: To boldly go where no investor comms strategy has gone before Opinion The wait for the SpaceX IPO is finally over, but it’s what happens next that will be Musk’s greatest challenge yet, says Tim Focas For what seems like an eternity now, investors have been deliberating when exactly SpaceX will finally become a public company. With the wait soon to be over, attentions will quickly turn [...]
Municipal bonds could revolutionise Britain – but there’s a catch June 3, 2026 Municipal bonds could create genuine local economic autonomy. But they require infrastructural change to work, writes Tim Focas.
Nigel Farage’s crypto punt is unlikely to end well April 22, 2026 Nakamoto, a Bitcoin treasury company that promised a similar vision to Farage’s Stack BTC, is a cautionary tale for investors, says Tim Focas Nigel Farage’s £275,000 stake in Stack BTC, a London listed Bitcoin treasury company chaired by Kwasi Kwarteng, certainly guarantees headlines, but unfortunately, it also attracts copycat investors. Through his ironically named Thorn [...]
When politics Trump prices, markets are no longer free March 26, 2026 In any other context, a system where a single individual can move markets so abruptly would raise serious questions about resilience and fairness. With Donald Trump, it is simply accepted, says Tim Focas The most striking thing about this week’s oil market moves is not that traders placed half a billion dollars of bets ahead [...]
Reform’s sovereign wealth pitch risks raiding pensions not reviving growth March 2, 2026 Reform’s Richard Tice’s plan to consolidate local council pension schemes fundamentally misunderstands the nature of fiduciary duty, says Tim Focas Behind the rhetoric of Reform’s proposal to consolidate local council pension schemes into a near £500bn sovereign wealth fund lies a major misunderstanding of what these pension assets are and who they exist to serve. [...]
Slow Berne: The UK-Switzerland financial services agreement is a quiet Brexit victory January 7, 2026 The Berne Financial Services Agreement is a mature, alignment and recognition deal that replaces regulatory empire building with mutual recognition, and political symbolism with commercial reality, says Tim Focas New Year is usually a moment for resolutions, reflection and overconfident promises about the year ahead. Politics, by contrast, tends to start January exactly as it [...]
Switzerland has rejected wealth taxes: Westminster should take note December 17, 2025 Swiss voters have overwhelmingly rejected a proposed 50 per cent inheritance tax, proving that individuals in a democracy understand that confidence in a jurisdiction can evaporate quickly, says Tim Focas Swiss voters have issued one of the clearest democratic verdicts on wealth and capital in recent memory. Last month, more than eight in ten rejected [...]
UK markets need radical reform, not the Chancellor’s endless tweaks November 27, 2025 ISA reform and stamp duty relief are sticking plasters for a stock market that needs major surgery, writes Tim Focas.
