Britain can produce world-beaters – if business speaks up for capitalism April 28, 2015 The startup parliament. That may well be the history books’ verdict on the last five years of our economy. It has been a period in which the UK has flexed its commercial muscles to become one of the most successful enterprise destinations in the world. Of Europe’s 25m small firms, more than five million operate [...]
BP share price edges up as profits plummet 20 per cent, but still beat expectations April 28, 2015 BP's share price rose slightly this morning, even as the company's results suffered from the effects of low oil prices. The energy giant’s underlying replacement cost profit was down 20 per cent for the three months ending 31 March, compared with the same period a year earlier. That sounds like terrible news, but the company [...]
BP says North Sea still important as it sells off regional pipeline stake April 23, 2015 OIL GIANT BP is selling its stake in the UK North Sea’s Central Area Transmission System (Cats) to Antin Infrastructure Partners for £324m. The deal comprises a £302m payment on completion, with a deferred £22m payment subject to certain post-closing adjustments. Trevor Garlick, BP’s North Sea regional president, said yesterday the strategy behind the deal [...]
Playtime for the mayor and PM April 22, 2015 IT was all fun and games for Boris Johnson and David Cameron yesterday morning at a nursery in southwest London. The mayor and the Prime Minister met pupils of the Advantage Children’s Day Nursery for puzzles, playtime and art. The students are unlikely to vote on 7 May, but their Kingston constituency is a Tory target. [...]
As a UN official blames anti-migrant rhetoric for boat rescue failures in the Med, is he right? April 20, 2015 Will Jones, lecturer in politics and member of the Refugee Studies Centre at the University of Oxford, says Yes Our politicians are fighting to prove who can be most vicious to foreigners. Who can stop them from claiming benefits for longest, or face the tightest admission requirements, or deported fastest. Our government deported a 31 [...]
It’s official: The coolest offices have slides, nap rooms and an in-office creche April 9, 2015 If you had aspirations of creating a cool work environment but can't quite squeeze in a slide, abandon your hopes now: you'll literally never be trendy. That's according to online gaming site MobileSlots,com, anyway: it's created the definitive list of the items that make up the coolest offices – and the slide is in the [...]
Beautiful things: Luxury laptop bags, vibrant pocket handkerchiefs and outlandish sunglasses April 2, 2015 Time was, the laptop bag was an uglier, floppier version of the briefcase. Not any more. Italian luxury bag maker Piquadro tasked its master-craftsmen with coming up with a rucksack befitting of the machine you rely upon for work, play and every other aspect of modern life. The company’s Sartoria made-to-order service makes it possible [...]
April Fools’ Day 2015: The best (and worst) jokes from BMW, Sun Life, Confused.com, Richard Branson and the London Eye April 1, 2015 Alright, so this year the various political weirdnesses (Joey Essex interviewing Nick Clegg, anyone?) have caused an air of ridiculousness to hang over Westminster for several weeks now – but outside the London bubble, the once-a-year gag fest that is April Fools' Day has kicked off in earnest. Here are some of the best (and [...]
David Cameron’s Heat Magazine interview: Here’s everything we didn’t want to know March 31, 2015 With the polls showing Labour neck and neck, neither of the party leaders can afford missed beats or wasted interviews. To that end, David Cameron decided to let Heat magazine's editor-in-chief, Lucie Cave, into the heart of Downing Street for a grilling that would put Paxo to shame. Here's a sample of what we found [...]
Ladies who don’t lunch: Sue Round talks fund management, sentimentality and being broke March 26, 2015 Buongiorno signora!” bellows the exuberant waiter at Bolton’s, an Italian tucked away in an unassuming corner near Leadenhall Market. “Hello, hellooo” comes the response. I know Sue Round has arrived, even before I see her. She greets me warmly, as if we’ve known each other for years. In fact, I’ve met Sue only once before [...]