Something for the weekend May 7, 2015 SEW! REFASHION EAST A weekend of events promoting fashion upcycling in east London. Learn sewing skills and explore the area’s rich textile heritage with an east London walking tour beginning at the Whitechapel Gallery. Visit hubbub.org.uk. MUNCH! DUKE ON THE GREEN The well-loved gastro pub on the King’s Road is open again after a smart [...]
General Election 2015: The three bold productivity-boosting policies the Big Three will never touch April 30, 2015 As we approach the General Election, politicians are battling over the question of what is wrong with Britain’s economy. The usual suspects are out in force: “benefit-scroungers”, “fat cat bosses”, “price gouging energy companies” to name but a few. What I find frustrating is the lack of substance behind many of these arguments. Rarely is [...]
Is Uber planning an on-demand service for luxury shopping deliveries? April 29, 2015 Uber could be delivering more than just people from A to B: the controversial taxi app is said to be eyeing a move into shopping deliveries. Not just any kind of delivery, though – Uber doesn't want to be the next Ocado. It wants to deliver luxury brands such as Louis Vuitton, Tiffany's, Hugo Boss [...]
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 [...]