Keir Starmer’s anti-Brexit frontbench needs to banish their love of Brussels December 15, 2021 There’s at least one Christmas Party the Prime Minister will enjoy remembering. On December 12, 2019, Boris Johnson celebrated in style after wrapping himself in Brexit and securing an election landslide. It’s easy to forget now as the Prime Minister fights for his political life, but just two years ago he handed the Tories an [...]
The supermarket wars are in full swing and Tesco is beefing up to fight its turf December 1, 2021 I last saw Sir Terry Leahy in 2013, two years after his messy divorce from Tesco. He agreed to a chat about retail on the condition he wouldn’t have to talk about the supermarket juggernaut he helped to create or his successor, Philip Clarke, who’d begun to question the state of the business he’d been [...]
Want a contract? Flash your green credentials on your way in, please November 17, 2021 Mining magnate Brian Gilbertson once recalled a results day at the turn of the Millennium. Ready to take City analysts through impressive figures on iron ore production he was somewhat surprised when asked: “What’s your internet strategy?” The South African spent the rest of the morning hurriedly writing down a dot com plan on an [...]
Boris’ tax mania could push British business into Labour’s open arms November 3, 2021 An exec recently recalled a meeting between banking bosses and ex-Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell when it looked like Labour may just seize power. As the suits traipsed into a room the Marxist quipped: “Don’t worry. We’re not sending you to a re-education centre in Doncaster … yet.” He also promised to whack corporation tax up [...]
This service has been delayed: A railway revolution is at a crossroads October 20, 2021 It was back in May when Grant Shapps, the one-time Tory chairman turned Transport Secretary, promised a revolution that would put passengers “at the heart” of everything to do with Britain’s railways. Critics claim his revolution – that will hand control of the railways to a quango looking something like NHS England – is nationalisation [...]
Welcome to the Green Room: Boris needs to finally deliver Net Zero October 6, 2021 As Boris Johnson strides onto the stage at Tory Party Conference he’ll promise the earth – and talk about saving it. The environment is front and centre of British politics now and Boris has made no secret of his ambitions to go green. Last year, in typical style, the PM vowed that Britain could become [...]
Boris Johnson’s endurance on immigration will be put to the test by labour shortages September 22, 2021 I always loved interviewing Stuart Rose. He was great company and if you stayed quiet long enough after asking a question, he’d give you a quote that made his press officers wince. Unfortunately for the former M&S chief, his honesty caused his downfall in Westminster when – as a Remain supporter during the Referendum campaign [...]