Democracy is full of powerful symbolism, but is it still functional in modern Britain? June 24, 2021 “Democracy is the worst form of government except for all those other forms that have been tried,” Winston Churchill famously said. While any reasonable democrat is willing to concede democracy is imperfect, few are willing to accept change is necessary. The idea of democracy is often lost in bold, symbolic rhetoric. It is, after all, [...]
A tough crackdown on oligarchs must carry us as far as our rule of law allows March 7, 2022 It is an uncomfortable truth that the West sorely lacks experience of war. That may seem a peculiar statement, after the long and bloody interventions in Iraq and Afghanistan, but those were effectively operations of control and rebuilding. What we are seeing in Ukraine at the moment is quite different: one sovereign nation taking on [...]
Govt’s Covid scientists receive suspicious packages for making ‘bad decisions’ September 2, 2021 A number of suspicious packages were sent to scientists who advised the Government during the coronavirus pandemic by people who feel they are “making bad decisions”, one expert revealed today. Professor Calum Semple, who sits on the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage), said he had been on the receiving end of a “particularly nasty” [...]
Under the influence: How reality stars’ Dubai trips could sink social media marketing January 27, 2021 While online fitness guru Sheridan Mordew has undoubtedly succeeded at influencing people, she may be struggling to make friends. When the social media influencer, who posts workout videos for her thousands of online followers, insisted that her much-documented trip to Dubai was essential business travel, she was met with little sympathy. In fact, Mordew is [...]
McLaren interview: North America, NFT’s and Drive to Survive October 22, 2021 Spanning five continents and 17 time zones, Formula 1 is a truly global sport. But with the expansion of the calendar in recent seasons and the increasing presence in the digital and online space, F1 teams are taking special interest in one market in particular: North America. McLaren are a case in point. The English [...]
ITV and Michael Grade eye Channel 4 takeover October 24, 2021 The former chief executive of Channel 4 Lord Grade and ITV are reportedly mulling takeover bids amid government plans to privatise the network. Lord Grade, who was at the helm of Channel 4 between 1988 and 1997 and also chaired the BBC and ITV, is considering snapping up the network The Times first reported. Earlier [...]
The Analyst: Ian Whittaker on the future of media June 15, 2021 Ian Whittaker has been a City analyst for more than two decades, and what he doesn’t know about media, advertising and the creative services industry isn’t worth knowing. Here’s his first monthly column for City A.M. After twenty years covering media, technology, and everything else in between, it’s always tempting to look back and marvel [...]
Best of 2022: How George the Poet is changing the national conversation December 26, 2022 It seems almost unbelievable that Harry and Megan’s wedding – global audience: 1.9 billion – was opened by… a podcaster. But George Mpanga, better known as George the Poet, is no ordinary podcaster; he’s a musician and a thinker, pushing the boundaries of the medium so far he’s created a genre all of his own. [...]
Exclusive: Brands fall short of customer engagement and interaction, warns digital ad guru October 29, 2021 In today’s increasingly digital-led way of life, retailers, service providers and other businesses are digitalising more of their operations and dealing with customers across a range of channels, whether it’s via a website, mobile app, email and other messaging formats, social media, or even the old-fashioned phone call. But according to Daniel Homoki-Farkas, UK managing [...]
‘All I want is a bus service’: Weary Tiverton and Honiton voters go the polls June 21, 2022 “It’s become a national referendum that’s been foisted on Tiverton,” says coffee shop patron Benjamin Barton. “All I want is a bus service, I would be really easily swayed if somebody said ‘we’ll put in a better bus service’.” And so goes the groan of discontent in the Devon town of Tiverton, which is daily [...]