WPP: New deals with Amazon and Unilever drive growth October 23, 2024 Like-for-like revenue at advertising giant WPP ticked up 4.1 per cent in the quarter to 30 September, despite a decline in business outside of the US and Europe. However, net new billings declined year-to-date. The figure came in at $3.2bn (£2.5bn) compared to $3.4bn (£2.6bn) in 2023. However, other regions struggled. Revenue in the UK [...]
This Budget looks set to be more car park than roadmap October 23, 2024 You have probably read at least two dozen columns speculating on where those tax rises of doom are going to land in next week’s budget, so I’m not sure there is much more to say on the big topics of contention. We’ll find out soon enough whether employers’ National insurance (NI) really will go up, [...]
The FII Institute’s PRIORITY Compass Global Citizen Survey: A Blueprint For Tomorrow October 22, 2024 In 2022, the Future Investment Initiative (FII) Institute embarked on a mission to collate data on what are the most pressing concerns of the majority of the world’s population through the inception of the FII PRIORITY Compass, its global citizen survey. The survey’s role is to help world leaders and decision-makers identify and thereby address these concerns. [...]
Starmer should make trade with Saudi Arabia a top priority October 22, 2024 The UK and Saudi Arabia have long cultivated strong ties. A bilateral trade relationship represents trade in goods and services between the two of a significant £17.6 billion for the 12 months to the end of Q1 of 2024.* Crucially, the Saudi government is investing billions into the UK economy through the Saudi sovereign wealth [...]
Dawn French: I’m not ready to write about my body October 22, 2024 Dawn French on overcoming shame, belly laughter with Jennifer Saunders and her new book
School smartphone ban is legislative overreach at its most unnecessary October 21, 2024 Schools already have the power to ban smartphones, adding pointless new laws to the statute book is bad for business and bad for democracy, says Eliot Wilson Parliament should never make law lightly. To legislate is to bring the coercive power of the state to bear in regulating conduct and behaviour as well as maintaining [...]
The rise of the celebrity scammers October 21, 2024 What’s the fastest route from a jail cell to celebrity? For Anna Sorokin, it’s the quick-step. Upon her release in 2021, after serving just two years of an originally four-to-12-year sentence for posing as an heiress to extort $275,000 from her victims, how did Sorokin (better known by her con artist alias ‘Anna Delvey’) celebrate? [...]
Hoy hailed as “inspiring” after terminal cancer diagnosis October 20, 2024 Sir Chris Hoy has been hailed as “inspiring” after revealing his cancer diagnosis was terminal. The six-time Olympic champion cyclist said he had been diagnosed with cancer in his prostate that has spread to his bones. Tumours were discovered in his shoulder, pelvis, hip, spine and rib. “You may see in the news this weekend [...]
Rugby is staring into the abyss when it comes to Gen Z October 19, 2024 Look at rugby in Britain today and objectively try to answer the following questions. Is it appealing to you? Is it sexy enough to invest in? Would I take my kids or young relatives to watch it? These are the questions rugby chiefs will always be grappling with, and good luck to them. But rugby [...]
London Stock Exchange Group sacks US staff member over ‘racist’ video October 18, 2024 The London Stock Exchange Group has sacked one of its staff after a “concerning video” was shared online. In a Linkedin post, the FTSE 100 firm said today it had been made aware of a video involving one of its US staff members and it had now fired the person. “You may be aware of [...]