Gavin Hastings interview: Scotland would love nothing more than to rub Eddie Jones’s face in the dirt February 21, 2018 Scotland would love nothing more than “to rub Eddie Jones’s face in the dirt” by recording their first victory over England in a decade, according to former skipper Gavin Hastings. Not since 2008, when four Chris Paterson penalties propelled the hosts to a 15-9 triumph over Brian Ashton’s England at Murrayfield, have Scotland revelled in [...]
Young’s pubs boss Patrick Dardis: “Smithfields is the new Covent Garden” November 16, 2017 Pub company Young’s has announced a deal to buy City favourite Smith’s of Smithfield and its sister site on Cannon Street. The acquisition was confirmed as the group reported a market-beating rise in sales across its pubs. The figures Revenue across managed pubs, which accounts for the biggest chunk of the business, was up 4.6 [...]
Carillion collapse poses big questions for investors, Jes Staley’s FCA delay goes on and The Range floats chairs January 26, 2018 When in doubt, blame the accountants: a mantra which has gathered momentum after virtually every big corporate collapse since the financial crisis. Carillion is no exception. It seems obvious to ask now why KPMG signed off the construction group’s accounts in March without the merest hint of anxiety. Hindsight being a wonderful thing, the wafer-thin [...]
Solvency ratio concerns weigh on Admiral as its share price dives August 17, 2016 Insurance giant Admiral led today's FTSE 100 laggards as it slid eight per cent after revealing a solvency ratio decline within its half-year results announcement that wasn't to everyone's tastes. The figures Group profits were up to £193m from £186m on turnover that jumped nearly 20 per cent from £1.06bn to £1.26bn. UK operations profit before tax increased slightly from [...]
As 2017 ends, what is the state of the British Labour Party? December 21, 2017 I’ve spoken in the past about my longtime membership of the Labour Party and my admiration for Tony Blair’s government. And just as often I have expressed disappointment with Labour’s current direction and with its current leadership, who have tried to force an unworkable brand of politics onto the party. Why am I still [...]
Cider fizzes to three-year high as sales hit £1bn September 14, 2017 A resurgence in the popularity of cider has boosted sales to a level not seen since 2014. In the year to 15 July, cider sales rose 5.5 per cent to just over £1bn, according to measurement company Nielsen. The boom was partly attributed to unseasonably warm weather. Sales between the middle of May and July [...]
Irvine Welsh interview: Growing old disgracefully May 3, 2018 The image of a former enfant terrible growing up, moving to a big house by the ocean and living a life of manicured leisure is hardly novel. Even so, hearing Irvine Welsh – former heroin addict, guitarist with punk band The Pubic Lice, and author of Trainspotting – talk about his Miami pilates regime is [...]
Jordan B Peterson interview: The unlikely conservative superstar on the high price of fame, causing offence and THAT interview with Cathy Newman July 5, 2018 Professor Jordan B Peterson’s apartment smells of meat. It’s 8am and his wife, Tammy, is fastidiously slicing a pile of steaks, frying them, and shovelling the unadorned results into a stack of Tupperware containers. It was Tammy, his childhood sweetheart who now works full-time for Peterson PLC, who greeted me when I arrived at his [...]
After the Rehearsal / Persona review: An emotionally wrought, powerhouse of an Ingmar Bergman double-bill September 28, 2017 The biggest cheer at the end of this exceptional double bill wasn't for the three actors who had endured an unusually intense evening, but for the tall, handsome, grey-haired form of Ivo van Hove, the Dutchman who might just be the best theatre director working today. He certainly earned the plaudits for this super-stylish, emotionally [...]
Prime Minister Theresa May on Geoffrey Boycott, Margaret Thatcher, Donald Trump and the fact she is “not a robot” September 8, 2017 Prime Minister Theresa May today insisted she is “not a robot”, following criticism over her wooden performances during the General Election campaign earlier this year. Speaking on BBC’s Test Match Special, May revealed how cricketing legend Geoffrey Boycott holds a special place in her heart, discussed a meeting with Margaret Thatcher and explained the real [...]