Government asks MP watchdog to review expenses rules March 30, 2025 Ministers will ask a Parliamentary watchdog to review some expenses claims after a Labour MP was able to claim £900 from the taxpayer in “pet rent”. Security minister Dan Jarvis insisted his colleague Taiwo Owatemi, a Government whip and the MP for Coventry North West, followed the rules when she made the expenses claim in [...]
Gordon Ramsay rakes in £60m as TV company takes off March 21, 2025 The production company run by Gordon Ramsay has seen a dramatic surge in its turnover as its profit continued to climb during its latest financial year. Humble Pie Productions, which trades as Studio Ramsay, has posted a turnover of £60.6m for the 12 months to 30 June, 2024, while it reported a pre-tax profit of [...]
New animated animal film Flow is worthy of the Oscars hype March 20, 2025 The biggest underdog story at this year’s Oscars was Flow, the independent Latvian animation that beat the might of Pixar, Aardman, and Dreamworks to take home Best Animated Feature. The film’s success saw a statue of the lead character, a black cat, built in Riga – but the film is a monument all on its [...]
It’ll take more than a White House PR stunt to turn Tesla around March 19, 2025 Elon Musk represents a reputational risk to Tesla and the company’s value could soon collapse to near zero, says John Caudwell Tesla will need a lot more than a PR stunt on the White House driveway to reverse its current despairing fortunes as anti-Elon Musk and anti-American trade war sentiment reverberates around the globe. While [...]
Quick Spirits can go boom for Newnham March 18, 2025 HONG Kong racing enthusiasts can look forward to another all-action nine-race programme at Happy Valley on Wednesday, with the feature race on the card being the Class Two Sports Handicap (2.50pm) over six furlongs. Favourite backers in the city will be on good terms with themselves at present, with 10 market leaders obliging from 19 [...]
Indian billionaire mulls expanding BT stake March 18, 2025 Indian telecoms billionaire Sunil Bharti Mittal is reportedly considering boosting his stake in BT, according to a report in the Financial Times. Mittal already holds a 24.5 per cent stake in BT, which he bought from Luxembourg-based telecoms giant Altice – previously owned by Patrick Drahi. The expanded stake would continue to be held through [...]
The ringers keeping the bells swinging in the Square Mile March 18, 2025 As bell ringing faces an uncertain future, Carys Sharkey goes to meet the people keeping the tradition alive in the City One late Thursday afternoon I made my way down from Cheapside, passing the thronging pubs spilling out onto Watling Street amid the chatter and clatter of post-work drinks. I turned onto Garlick Hill to the [...]
Libby’s Naked Wines diary: artful drinking in Mayfair March 5, 2025 Libby’s Naked Wines diary: this week, City AM’s wine columnist Libby Brodie is with Mayfair’s art set It was one of those events where everyone is the most interesting person in the room. A small gathering of London’s fashionable and fascinating to wish farewell to Stephen Webster’s Mount Street Salon, as he moves his London [...]
Supermarket sales rise, but Asda continues to struggle March 4, 2025 Sales at UK supermarkets rose above inflation in February as Brits looked for cost-effective ways to treat themselves. Take-home sales at the grocers rose by 3.6 per cent over the four weeks to 23 February, while prices rose 3.3 per cent, according to Kantar. However, the headline figure masked a gulf between the performance of [...]
Eat, drink, sleep, repeat: The best steak in London February 28, 2025 When I joined Gaucho as CEO in 2019, I embarked on a five year programme to re-imagine the brand; making it accessible and attractive to a more diverse demographic. We already sold the best steak in London so I achieved much of this through design, an innovative international wine list, and our catering at a [...]