Sky launches new factual channels amid production push January 27, 2020 Sky today said it will launch two new factual TV channels as the media firm ramps up its investment in original productions. Sky Documentaries and Sky Nature will launch in the spring, offering subscribers original programmes as well as new series from networks such as HBO and Showtime. New original documentaries will include Tiger Woods: [...]
UK PMI: Economy climbs to 16-month high, leaving rate cut less likely January 24, 2020 The UK economy has returned to growth in January, according to a flash Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) reading, hitting a 16-month high as the Bank of England weighs up whether or not to cut UK interest rates. The flash IHS Markit / CIPS composite PMI reading for the UK hit 52.4 in January, up from [...]
UK borrowing falls ahead of spring Budget January 22, 2020 The UK government borrowed less than expected in December, official data has shown, as chancellor Sajid Javid prepares to boost spending in his March Budget. Borrowing in December was £4.8bn, less than expected and down £0.2bn compared to the same month a year earlier, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said. Yet for the financial [...]
Reinvigorating the regions is crucial for the whole of our country January 10, 2020 The Prime Minister had victory to savour on holiday in Mustique, and when he returned foreign policy was very much top of the agenda, with the escalating tensions between Iran and the US. But if Boris Johnson is to remain in power for a decade, he must not take his eye off the ball domestically [...]
Former Ofcom boss to advise on Heathrow terminal monopoly probe December 5, 2019 A firm set up by the former boss of Ofcom has been appointed to advise the aviation regulator on whether Heathrow’s terminals could be operated by third-parties. The Civil Aviation Authority has selected Flint Global, which was set up by former Ofcom chief executive Ed Richards, to look into the possibility of allowing other companies [...]
Winning the global race: Britain needs social enterprises to help business rediscover its purpose October 24, 2019 What seemed like a lifetime ago, former Prime Minister David Cameron used to talk about the “global race”. When he spoke about getting fit for this race, his argument was that the state needed to shed a few pounds in order to free up businesses to drive growth. Like most politicians at the time, he [...]
German think tanks once again slash growth forecast October 2, 2019 A group of top German think tanks today slashed their growth forecasts for the European powerhouse and warned that a disorderly Brexit could knock 0.4 per cent off the country’s GDP. Read more: Eurozone manufacturing sector suffers worst month in seven years The economy is now predicted to grow by just 0.5 per cent in [...]
Sajid Javid’s spending plans raise eyebrows at think tanks and business bodies September 4, 2019 Chancellor Sajid Javid today announced he would “turn the page on austerity” with the biggest increase in government spending for 15 years. Read more: Sajid Javid proclaims the ‘end of austerity’ in spending round In his first major announcement after taking the helm of the UK economy, Javid turned his back on the approach of [...]
The next dimension – bringing 3D advertising graphics to the masses September 2, 2019 What’s the most visually stunning advert you can think of? Perhaps it’s one of the John Lewis Christmas campaigns, or maybe it’s an ad by Apple or Samsung that shows their phones in incredible detail as they float across the screen. Whatever you imagined, it was likely made using computer-generated imagery (CGI), or other 3D [...]
Forget glitzy vanity projects like HS2, here’s what we could do instead August 28, 2019 Until recently, Crossrail was cited as an example of that miraculous phenomenon: a government infrastructure project running on time and on budget. We now know that Crossrail has run off track; it is £3bn over its 2010 budget, and will open more than two years late. The much maligned HS2 project came with none of [...]