Supporting the Underdog this Christmas November 26, 2024 If anyone orders Merlot, I’m leaving. I am NOT drinking any f****** merlot!”. It was the line, uttered by Paul Giamatti in the film ‘Sideways’, that triggered a two per cent drop in Merlot sales in the USA and relegated the grape to underdog status for years to come. It is still trying to claw [...]
In defence of Band Aid (kind of) November 26, 2024 Arguments about whether Band Aid is patronising are as old as the song itself, but they map oddly onto contemporary political divides, says Will Cooling If the Americans have film bros arguing over whether Die Hard is a Christmas movie, then we Brits have debating the merits of Band Aid as an alternative festive pastime. [...]
Constitution Hill ‘miles better’ with Christmas Hurdle return ‘realistic’ November 25, 2024 Constitution Hill could return to action at the Ladbrokes Christmas Hurdle after being pulled from the Fighting Fifth Hurdle this Saturday. Nicky Henderson has insisted a return to racing for the seven-year-old at the Christmas Hurdle “is still realistic” despite lameness causing his withdrawal from the Newcastle race this weekend. Thoroughbred hurdler Constitution Hill is [...]
Fans being left in dark over football regulator’s powers, peers warn November 25, 2024 A House of Lords committee has criticised the Football Governance Bill for failing to define which leagues the incoming football regulator will have power over. The bill, which had its second reading in the Lords this month, says only that the watchdog will be tasked with overseeing “English football”, meaning that ministers will have to [...]
Jobs market gets Christmas boost from seasonal hiring November 25, 2024 In October, there were 0.64 per cent more vacancies than there were six months ago, the first time the six-monthly reading has been positive in 2024.
Wicked film review: Ariana Grande helps this musical really fly November 22, 2024 More than two decades after the production was first staged, Wicked makes it to the big screen in the first of a two-part adaptation. Arriving on a tornado of publicity, expectations are high for the Broadway favourite, but can it be just as popular on film? For the uninitiated, Wicked presents an alternative history behind [...]
Budget uncertainty has gone but odds have been stacked against business November 22, 2024 If Rachel Reeves thought certainty would cure the UK economy’s growth problem, she was wrong. She’s just pitted consumers against retailers. This data-heavy week has reflected that uncertainty over the Budget has not been cured by policy which heaps pressure on business. We’ve had inflation rising, debt compounded, inheritance tax receipts soaring, farmers protesting, the [...]
Retail sales fall on Budget uncertainty before run-up to Christmas November 22, 2024 Retail sales fell by almost one per cent last month as cash-strapped Brits held back big ticket purchases amid a cloud of Budget uncertainty. The Office for National Statistics said this morning they dropped by 0.7 per cent in October, following a 0.1 per cent rise the previous month, which had been revised down from [...]
Borrowing in October hits second-highest on record after inflation blow November 21, 2024 The government borrowed £1.6bn more in October than the previous year, making it the second-highest figure for the month in more than 30 years. The government’s borrowing – the difference between spending and income – hit £17.4bn in the last month, the Office for National Statistics said this morning. The body said the government’s current [...]
The Capitalist: Farmers protest heats up; Guardian strikes; Jaguar’s rebrand November 21, 2024 The farmers protest escalates, Guardian hacks threaten strikes and more; catch up on the latest City gossip in The Capitalist.