DEBATE: Is Chris Grayling to blame for the rail chaos earlier this year? September 21, 2018 Is Chris Grayling to blame for the rail chaos earlier this year? Andy McDonald, Labour MP and shadow transport secretary, says YES. Chris Grayling’s reverse Midas touch has made a mess of the railways. Under his watch, passengers have suffered timetabling chaos, ever increasing fares, and broken promises on investment. In any other line of [...]
DEBATE: Is Chris Grayling to blame for the rail chaos earlier this year? September 21, 2018 Is Chris Grayling to blame for the rail chaos earlier this year? Andy McDonald, Labour MP and shadow transport secretary, says YES. Chris Grayling’s reverse Midas touch has made a mess of the railways. Under his watch, passengers have suffered timetabling chaos, ever increasing fares, and broken promises on investment. In any other line of [...]
Apple loses $50bn in market valuation as fears grow of slowing iPhone sales November 12, 2018 Apple's shares fell five percent tonight after a major supplier cut its financial outlook, leading to fears demand for the iPhone has plateaued. The fall slashed $50bn (£38.9bn) from Apple’s market valuation with shares falling $20.30 to $194.17. The losses mean Apple’s market capitalisation has fallen $190bn since October, more than the entire market value [...]
UK wireless charging tech firm Aircharge makes its debut on London bus routes October 30, 2018 The UK tech firm behind the wireless charging pads found in Starbucks, McDonalds and Costa is going mobile, with its latest expansion to debut on London bus routes. Partnering up with British bus manufacturer Optare, Aircharge charging points will be initially be available on Green Line routes operating between London and various airports, including Luton and [...]
Stop being defeatist, Britain is still a geopolitical powerhouse January 10, 2019 Over the past few years, the drumbeat of British declinism has grown steadily louder. Last year, former Prime Minister Sir John Major claimed that the UK was going to become a “middle-sized, middle-ranking nation”, while Sir Simon McDonald, the head of the diplomatic service, described the country as “medium-sized”. True, the declinist rumble has haunted the [...]
Why brands like Burger King are using internet troll tactics in their marketing campaigns March 10, 2019 Trolls have a bad reputation, deservedly so. In case you’ve been living under the proverbial rock and are unfamiliar with the term, an internet troll is someone who deliberately tries to provokes an argument or reaction online, usually by saying nasty or offensive things. Read more: DEBATE: Was Facebook right to ban Tommy Robinson? Trolling [...]
Sadiq Khan’s junk food advertising ban will hurt TfL and marketers, but fail to fight childhood obesity March 4, 2019 Last week, a divisive political leader brought an end to a scourge that threatened our everyday society. No, I’m not talking about Donald Trump, whose summit with Kim Jong-un unfortunately failed to achieve the denuclearisation of North Korea. I’m talking instead about London mayor Sadiq Khan, whose ban on junk food advertising on the Transport [...]
We live in a material world, so let’s embrace Black Friday – and freedom November 23, 2018 Today is Black Friday: a day that conjures up images of keen shoppers scrambling to be first in the door at 5am to secure that half-price LED 50-inch TV, while scrums of people fight tooth and nail for the last discounted kettle. This is how we usually characterise this annual sales fest, ever since Asda [...]
Apple, Google and Amazon top list of world’s most valuable brands October 4, 2018 Tech giants Apple, Google and Amazon have topped a list of the most valuable brands in the world in an influential study. British car company Jaguar Land Rover came in at 78th on the 100-strong list, while Burberry snatched 94th place and whisky maker Johnnie Walker took 97th. Spotify made its debut on Interbrand's list, [...]
It’s the end of Veganuary, but food retailers need to support vegans all year round and not treat them like just another trend January 28, 2019 January is often a month when we try new things, and attempt to abstain from old habits. It started with new year’s resolutions. Then people started to try “Dry January”, forgoing alcohol for the whole month to make up for overindulging at Christmas. The concept has evolved, and now we have “Veganuary”, where people challenge [...]