Best of Enemies at the Young Vic: A dense, ambitious political tinderbox December 17, 2021 James Graham is among the best political playwrights working today, responsible for gems including This House, innovative live-streamed election-night saga The Vote, and the screenplay for the lauded TV drama Brexit: The Uncivil War. His plays are painstakingly researched, probing the innards of political life and finding moments of joy, humour or horror amid the [...]
Londoners squeezed by relentless cost of living in the capital December 17, 2021 Londoners are being squeezed by the relentless high cost of living in the capital, reveals a new study published today. Polling by Ipsos MORI funded by London Councils found around one in five of all Londoners think the cost of living is the most pressing issue impacting them. Private renters and young people living in [...]
Christmas Special: Books of 2021 from Mayhem to Madness December 17, 2021 Back into the mayhem: Chief of Staff by Gavin Barwell Gavin Barwell was a middle-ranking minister when he lost his Croydon Central seat at the cack-handed 2017 general election. He was 45, bright, personable and loyal, and he had sensed that defeat might come, promising in his concession speech to spend more time with his [...]
UK and Australia sign its first ‘from scratch’ trade deal December 16, 2021 The UK has signed an historic trade agreement with Australia this evening, as the first ‘from scratch’ since leaving the EU,setting new global standards in digital and services and creating new work and travel opportunities for Brits and Aussies.
Only eight million UK homes get full-fibre broadband despite £2bn government investment December 16, 2021 Only eight million UK homes (28 per cent) are able to get full-fibre broadband, according to new data from Ofcom.
Hipgnosis’ music grabs pay off as the investment firm reports revenue boom December 16, 2021 Music investment firm Hipgnosis Songs reported this morning that both net revenues and underlying earnings had grown in the six months ended 30 September as its net asset value increased 2.5 per cent throughout the period.
US investor Fortress snaps up Punch Pubs for undisclosed sum December 15, 2021 Investment group Fortress has acquired Punch Pubs from Patron Capital for an undisclosed sum. The US-based investor owned by SoftBank said it had acquired 100 per cent of the firm’s share capital on Wednesday. The pub group comprises 1,300 venues in the UK, made up of wet-led, community pubs. It is largely focused on a [...]
Could we be nearing the end of Lewis Hamilton in Formula 1? December 14, 2021 He may be due to be knighted later on today, but Lewis Hamilton was denied his coronation as an eight-time world champion Formula 1 driver on Sunday. In the immediate aftermath of that controversial final lap in Abu Dhabi, the 36-year-old declined to commit to continuing racing: “I’ve felt great in the car in the [...]
Labour market squeeze: UK unemployment rate falls to 4.2 per cent as vacancies soar to 1.2m December 14, 2021 The UK unemployment rate decreased by 0.4 percentage points on the quarter to 4.2 per cent for the three months to the end of October. A rise in more part-time work is partly behind the fall, according to Office for National Statistics data out this morning. Young people, a group that bore the brunt of [...]
Navigating the online safety dichotomy will resolve the uncertainty of tech regulation December 14, 2021 Our daily, physical lives are increasingly interwoven with our online lives. This is especially true for young people and children. This can be a strength – as we’ve seen during the pandemic – but can also be a weakness. Just as there is a responsibility to ensure the safety of people in real life, there [...]