CITY SALUTES ARMED FORCES AT GUILDHALL February 22, 2012 THE CREAM of London’s business and culinary talent last night came together at Guildhall for the Square Mile Salute fundraiser to support the armed forces. Owen Paterson, secretary of state for Northern Ireland, was guest of honour at the military fundraiser, where 13 of the world’s top chefs – including John Williams of The Ritz [...]
The City can help build bridges to Gulf states February 19, 2012 AT A time when political tensions are running high in Syria, Iran and parts of the Gulf now might not seem like the best time to be leading a senior City business delegation to the region. Business confidence relies on a stable environment but despite the current uncertainty there remain huge two-way opportunities for closer [...]
GUNS N’ ROSES TO LEAD SPANISH ROCK LAUNCH February 16, 2012 EIGHT MONTHS after Music Festivals floated on Aim, founder Vince Power has announced the company’s first expansion funded by the IPO – a hard rock festival in Spain, to be headlined by Guns N’ Roses and Marilyn Manson. Costa de Fuego, named after the firepower of its 40 heavy metal acts, will take place over [...]
Dickens gives a lesson on the value of money February 5, 2012 TOMORROW marks the bicentenary of the birth of Charles Dickens, an author whose writing made a continuous and concerted effort to marry the concepts of prosperity and morality. It is right, therefore, that, in view of the challenges we currently face, we celebrate the life and works of a great writer and Londoner. Never before [...]
Apprenticeships in Britain plainly have not worked February 1, 2012 POLITICIANS faced by persistent social problems often dream of reviving old institutions. Youth unemployment in Britain recently passed 1m. No surprise, then, that historical solutions are being proposed for the UK’s present day problems with youth training. Politicians of all stripes believe that increasing access to apprenticeships will turn those young people not in employment, [...]
London’s success is the whole country’s gain January 22, 2012 HAVING just returned to this country after leading a senior City delegation to Turkey, I am currently on an equally important business visit – to six of our own major cities across the United Kingdom. At first glance, it may seem to some that promoting the City in my hometown of Bradford – where I [...]
Boris: foreign cash can pay for airport January 18, 2012 A NEW airport for the Thames Estuary could be built in as little as six years and backed by sovereign wealth funds, Boris Johnson claimed yesterday. Raising cash for the project – expected to cost up to £50bn – would not be a problem, according to the London Mayor, as he called for a display of the [...]
Enjoy 2012’s fireworks: It is London’s big year January 8, 2012 THE prevailing mood across the City and the UK as we enter 2012 seems to be one of caution rather than celebration. This is understandable given the current economic environment. If recent forecasts are anything to go by we are faced with a year of slow growth combined with relatively high unemployment and inflation. And [...]
Enjoy 2012’s fireworks: It is London’s big year January 8, 2012 THE prevailing mood across the City and the UK as we enter 2012 seems to be one of caution rather than celebration. This is understandable given the current economic environment. If recent forecasts are anything to go by we are faced with a year of slow growth combined with relatively high unemployment and inflation. And [...]
WANEY SEES IN 2012 AT NEW YEAR’S EVE CONGA January 2, 2012 DILEMMAS, dilemmas. Should one have accepted the invitation to see in 2012 with Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen at Roman Abramovich’s £5m party on the Caribbean island of St Barts? Or should one have saved oneself the bother of a plane journey and make an appearance at restaurateur Arjun Waney’s New Year’s Eve party at his [...]