How worried should Ed Miliband be about the CBI’s net zero U-turn? June 12, 2025 Is the CBI’s about-face on the cost of net zero a case of shameless opportunism or an overdue conversion to common sense, asks James Ford We are arguably living in an age of screeching political U-turns. The government’s abrupt volte-face over withdrawing the Winter Fuel Allowance is probably the most egregious example. Others would include [...]
Isuzu D-Max V-Cross review: The tough truck with a soft side June 10, 2025 Isuzu had its best year to date for new vehicle sales in 2024, with more than 6,500 examples of the D-Max pickup finding homes in the UK. However, the Japanese marque could face a tougher challenge in future, thanks to changes to how double cab pickup trucks are treated by HMRC. The changes make double [...]
Boreham Motorworks Ford Escort Mk1 68 Edition: Praise the Ford May 30, 2025 If this was a pitch on Dragons’ Den, it’s hard to imagine anyone agreeing to invest. “We’re bringing back the Ford Escort after 25 years of absence.” (Deborah Meaden arches an eyebrow.) “It won’t be legal to drive on the road.” (Stephen Bartlett slowly shakes his head). “And it will cost upwards of £300,000.” (Peter [...]
Trainline: CEO’s pay more than doubles as profit jumps May 29, 2025 Trainline has more than doubled the pay packet of its chief executive after its profit surged during its latest financial year, it has been revealed. Jody Ford has taken home £5.6m, having been remunerated to the tune of £2.4m for the prior 12 months. According to Trainline’s annual report, Ford’s pay packet was significantly boosted [...]
Can banning ‘bare beating’ force people to wear headphones on the tube? May 29, 2025 ‘Headphone dodgers’ who listen to music on the tube with the sound up are easy to hate but ‘bare beating’ is a problem that is harder to solve than you think, argues James Ford Public transport is often seen as an inherently good thing. Done well, transport policy can be a silver bullet that solves [...]
Frontline MGA Factory Edition review: Best of British May 28, 2025 Blatting between overgrown hedgerows, past a village green and a country pub, the little MG seems energised by the sunshine that dapples its polished chrome and British Racing Green coachwork. This could easily be a scene from 1955, and the idyllic England that lives in our collective imagination. From the driver’s seat, though, it feels [...]
Aston Martin Vantage Roadster review: An emotional high May 28, 2025 Six-point-eight seconds. No, that isn’t how long the Vantage Roadster takes to reach 62mph (it got there 3.2 seconds ago), but the time needed for its roof to go from open to closed. Aston Martin says this is ‘fastest fully automatic deployable roof mechanism on the market today’. And believe me, when the Alpine weather [...]
London can’t afford to let rich Nimbys block live music in Brockwell Park May 21, 2025 Rich Nimbys are strangling the capital’s culture by blocking concerts in Brockwell Park, and the poorest Londoners will suffer the most, writes James Ford Do you remember when London was fun? Not just mildly fun, but properly and riotously so. A heaving metropolis where sweaty clubbers, ebullient party goers and merry music lovers packed themselves [...]
Analysts say ‘Buy’ Vanquis shares after payday loan turnaround May 15, 2025 Vanquis shares could finally be about to turn a corner, according to one group of City analysts. The shares peaked at more than 2,600p in 2015, and have since fallen by more than 96 per cent as Vanquis has endured soaring complaints and regulatory backlash thanks to its sub-prime lending and payday loan market exposure. [...]
Sadiq Khan’s green belt U-turn is an admission of failure on housing May 15, 2025 Sadiq Khan is spinning his plan to build on London’s green belt as a “radical change of approach”, but it’s nothing of the sort. It will have a very limited impact on housing starts during this mayoral term and may only add to the political heat around house building, says James Ford Margaret Thatcher famously [...]