A second referendum wouldn’t be undemocratic… but it would be disastrous December 20, 2018 As a Dutch Anglophile and a committed European, my natural sympathies lie with those currently aiming to preserve the ties that bind the UK to the European Union. What the massive street protests and the passionate people’s vote campaign make clear is that many Brits are as attached to their newly-won European rights as they [...]
Dear Santa, all we want for Christmas is more freedom – sincerely, the economy December 20, 2018 What does the economy want for Christmas? The answer is what it always wants, but rarely gets: more economic freedom. Economic freedom is actually two presents, not one. To make this Christmas one to remember, the economy wants to unwrap both public and private sector freedom. Public sector freedom comes in the form of a [...]
Arsenal 0-2 Tottenham: Five things we learned as goals from Heung-min Son and Dele Alli send Spurs through to League Cup semi-final December 19, 2018 It was a testament to the importance of this match that both sides opted to pick their strongest possible line-ups, despite it only being a League Cup tie. Ultimately, Tottenham’s best was better, as they knocked out Arsenal with a 2-0 win – just their second ever victory at the Emirates. In times gone by, [...]
The government’s immigration proposals aren’t perfect but they include plenty to cheer about December 19, 2018 Yesterday, this column predicted that the government's immigration white paper would be a pretty rum Christmas present for business. Today, we have to acknowledge that while the proposals don't satisfy everyone (or more accurately, every sector) there are elements to cheer. The Home Secretary, Sajid Javid, is known for a more liberal approach to immigration [...]
If you’re not into wine and beer, here are the Christmas spirits we think you should stock up on over the festive period December 19, 2018 Whether you’re looking for a gift, throwing a party, or fortifying yourself to spend time with your family, the festive period is a peak time for boozing. Here are some suggestions to get you in the Christmas spirits: Appleton Estate Rare Blend 12 Year Old Jamaica Rum Christmas and rum go together like pirates and rum. [...]
What goes with Christmas? Your festive dinner wine woes solved December 19, 2018 To paraphrase the famous French proverb, a Christmas dinner without wine is like a day without sunshine. A recent survey showed our average spend on a bottle for Christmas dinner increases by 45 per cent, and you can double that if it’s a gift. So it’s clear that we like to put a bit of [...]
Forest Bar + Kitchen in Blackhorse Road review: London’s ‘cave scene’ has birthed a gem in E17 December 19, 2018 Have you heard of the cave scene? No, it’s not not an obscure sexual kink, nor a spelunking society. It is, in fact, the new big thing in eating and drinking. It’s essentially a bunch of hip young restaurateurs and oenophiles reclaiming the term “wine bar”, which had been tarnished by memories of 1980s couples [...]
Celebrations Twix vs Mars… the lesson for investors December 19, 2018 Christmas, as my colleague Andy Williams crooningly reassures us, may well be the most wonderful time of the year but, in social terms, it is also potentially the most blunderful. And while solutions to age-old concerns such as gifts people truly have always wanted and friction-free family get-togethers are still works-in-progress, our Value Perspective blog [...]
London house prices slump as Brexit stagnation spreads to suburbs December 19, 2018 London house prices fell in October as slowdown in the capital dragged down UK property price growth to its lowest level in five years. House prices in London fell 0.3 per cent in October, taking the annual price fall in the capital to 1.7 per cent, according to data released today by the Office for National [...]
UK inflation falls to 20-month low led by cheaper petrol prices in Christmas boost for households December 19, 2018 UK inflation fell to a 20-month low in November led by cheaper petrol prices in a boost for consumers in the run up to Christmas. Consumer prices rose by 2.3 per cent in November, down from 2.4 per cent the previous month and the slowest rate since March 2017, according the Office for National Statistics. [...]