Cameron must now translate his vision into concrete action October 2, 2013 THERE is, of course, a place for soundbites. David Cameron’s speech yesterday had those in spades; some were even pretty good. The Prime Minister spoke up for the profit motive, for enterprise, hard work, improved standards in education and called for a land of opportunity. He defended business from the vicious attacks of Ed Miliband, [...]
Personality of the year September 16, 2013 Mark Carney has been the most talked about central banker for many years, and he’s only been in situ at the Bank for a few weeks. Maybe that makes it hard for the judges to hail him so soon but he has made a big claim to this award. Needless to say there is strong [...]
Who said Volvos were boring? September 16, 2013 Volvo’s new V60 Plug-In Hybrid is proof that sensible and cool are not mutually exclusive THERE was a time when the Volvo estate was thought of as the most sensible car imaginable, a large, boxy family vehicle parked outside a semi-detached house on a suburban cul-de-sac awaiting its sole function; ferrying children about as safely [...]
Not convinced by the Volvo V60 Plug-In Hybrid? September 16, 2013 TAKE A LOOK AT THESE ALTERNATIVES BMW ActiveHybrid 3 SE, £40,560 A powerful hybrid at its fastest. BMW has combined a 306bhp 3.0-litre turbo petrol engine with an electric motor, so total output is a massive 340bhp. This translates into a 0-62mph time of just 5.3 seconds and a top speed of 155mph. Unless you [...]
Disruptive technology isn’t a miracle: We can harness its future power now September 15, 2013 THE ASTONISHING rise of firms like Twitter (founded just seven years ago, yet now expected to float for $10bn), is often seen as a grand romantic narrative – an exciting story, difficult to predict. But transformation, disruption, and change should be easier to forecast. The only weapon we need is the deceptively simple power of [...]
Self-driving pods and 3D printing will be the real challenge for Royal Mail September 12, 2013 TWENTY years ago, as the web came into existence, it was obvious that Royal Mail would be carrying fewer personal and business letters by now, that there would be a vast rise in junk mail and another huge increase in parcel deliveries thanks to online buying. All of those expectations have come true. After a [...]
Float through the traffic in the E300 February 25, 2013 Mercedes-Benz’s latest hybrid executive saloon is so smooth it is more magic carpet than automobile Traditionally, delivering high fuel economy hasn’t been a primary focus for large executive cars. But the times they are a-changin’. Car manufacturers know they need to provide cleaner and more efficient vehicles to appease European regulators and discourage buyers from [...]
My recent attempt to pass on some rock solid business advice December 9, 2012 I DON’T want to study rocks!” My teenage son Tom looked at me like I was an ugly alien. We were discussing what he should read at university, and he was keen on economics and maths to pursue a career in finance or business.“But I think the big finance boom is over, Tom. And mining [...]
Higher spenders would be better than a new strategy October 24, 2012 WHAT does the future of retail look like? Clicks-and-mortar is the buzzword of the moment (Tesco calls its version Clicks and Bricks), a Frankenstein-like stitching together of physical retail locations with online, anytime ordering. When Home Retail Group (HRG) announced its strategy to turn around Argos yesterday that’s very much what it had in mind, [...]
Aviation report could alter the route of HS2 September 30, 2012 THE HIGH-SPEED rail link between London and the North could be relocated to pass through Heathrow, if the government allows the airport to expand after 2015. The Department for Transport (DfT) yesterday said that a bill will be introduced by the end of 2013 to get the ball rolling on building High Speed 2, as [...]