Populists have hijacked the concept of ‘inequality’ for their own political aims January 19, 2018 Jeremy Corbyn’s rise in power and popularity has gone hand-in-hand with an increased focus on inequality – a word that, these days, has fully negative connotations. According to the Momentum brigade, “neoliberalism” has created an impenetrable divide between the “haves” and the “have-nots”, the fat cat boss versus the company’s janitorial staff, the tech entrepreneur [...]
Forget bitcoin and dogecoin, there’s joke cryptocurrency based on Theresa May, Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin and Emmanuel Macron January 16, 2018 Bitcoin might be on a downward turn (for now at least), but Theresa May coin is on the up. Yes, the Prime Minister has been minted into the cryptocurrency world in another example of the craze. Who wouldn’t approve of going to all that effort just for a pun about being strong and stable? Read [...]
The Labour danger: Pricing in the possibility of a Corbyn-led government December 12, 2017 It has been 18 months filled with political surprises, and at a time when nothing seems to be off the cards, the possibility of a Corbyn-led government perhaps isn’t as farfetched as some of us imagined. While many businesspeople are praying this never comes to light, it’s still a risk that can’t be ignored. [...]
Uber has been behaving like a tech teenager – it’s time to grow up November 27, 2017 When Dara Khosrowshahi was ushered in as the new broom at Uber in August, he can’t have realised the full extent of the mess he had been tasked with clearing up. Damaging claims of sexual harassment that came to light in February were superseded in September by the dramatic decision to strip Uber of its [...]
Following in the tyre tracks of legendary rock stars through Morocco in a Bentley Bentayga November 1, 2017 As I steer off the ferry from Spain and burble through the customs gate, I catch sight of the Grand Mosque’s rectangular minaret that greeted Keith Richards and Anita Pallenberg in 1967. I’m in Tangier, exactly 50 years later, on a mission to Marrakech and, like Keith and Anita, my girlfriend and I have arrived [...]
Vinyl countdown: Sainsbury’s has launched its own record label to take advantage of the record revival November 1, 2017 Have we just reached peak hipster? Sainsbury’s has launched its own record label in an effort to capitalise more on the vinyl revival. The supermarket said it will launch two compilation albums on its new Own Label imprint, which will be released via Universal and Warner Music on Friday. The first of the two albums, [...]
The Lake House, a self-built eco-retreat in Sussex, has ample grounds for entertaining and even has its own helipad September 29, 2017 Dreaming of having a great house is one thing, but those with real ambition dream of a great house with land. And boy, has this house got land. With 21 acres, this self-built five bedroom country home in the village of Plaistow in West Sussex is a fisherman’s dream. It has a three-acre rainbow trout [...]
Ed Sheeran’s former college The Academy of Contemporary Music grabs a £2.4m peer-to-peer loan from ThinCats | City A.M. August 15, 2017 The Academy of Contemporary Music (ACM), which counts Ed Sheeran, Newton Faulkner and Kate Nash among its alumni, has secured a £2.4m loan from peer-to-peer lender ThinCats. Following Sheeran’s success, ACM has seen a surge in interest from potential students. The academy will use the funding to expand and double its student numbers, as discussions [...]
The long weekend: Unwind on the French Golden Island of Porquerolles at the meeting point of Provence and the Cote d’Azur June 26, 2017 We discover the golden island of Porquerolles off the south coast of France. THE WEEKEND: Spend a long weekend on the picture-perfect Isle de Porquerolles, an island little-visited by Brits in a region where the rustic charm of Provence and the cosmopolitan chic of the Cote d’Azur overlap. Cycle through olive orchards, hike along rugged [...]
14 years of returns: history’s lesson for investors June 20, 2017 The temptation among investors is to stick to what you know. That is no bad thing. It is a strategy championed by pioneers of investment such as Warren Buffett. It can work when the market is rising and you have picked the right asset. However, it is also important for investors to also consider the [...]