Faith has a place in politics Opinion Many political arguments are about values and religion lies at the heart of many moral arguments – whether we realise it or not, says Bartek Staniszewski “May they never lead the nation wrongly through love of power,” prays the Speaker’s Chaplain – with questionable efficacy – as the House of Commons begins to sit each [...]
Can CEOs learn from politicians and should they? Opinion The author of James Cleverly’s award-winning Tory leadership speech on what politicians do differently to the c-suite Can business leaders learn from political leaders? Should they? I say yes, and yes. But who am I? I have coached both types of leaders for years: business leaders in 17 PLCs, multiple smaller businesses, and startups, over [...]
Who will be Labour’s next John Prescott? Opinion He couldn’t have been more different to Tony Blair, yet John Prescott ended up being our longest serving deputy prime minister. But is there a talent like him in Starmer’s cabinet? Asks William Atkinson As well as having a decent right hook, the late John Prescott was our longest-serving deputy prime minister (DPM). The formal creation of the [...]
Football regulator boss should come from the Square Mile, says Crouch October 29, 2024 Former sports minister Tracey Crouch says the incoming football regulator should be run by someone with a background in the City. Crouch has done more than anyone to give rise to the regulator by making it a key recommendation in her fan-led review of football governance. A revised bill laying out the watchdog’s proposed powers [...]
Boris Johnson Unleashed: Puns, prose but too little punch October 17, 2024 Let’s face it: if you aren’t a Boris fan or someone inclined to read every political biography, it’s unlikely you will pick up this book. When I told my brother I was reading it, his response was: “Why would you want to relive that mess?!?”. My mother was more pointed: “I’m not reading anything by [...]
The Notebook: Starmer should spend more time on Linkedin October 16, 2024 Sir Keir Starmer should spend more time clicking away on the world’s most insincere website, according to Michael Martins, founding partner of Overton Advisory Starmer should spend more time on LinkedIn Labour’s first successful International Investment Summit under Prime Minister Starmer yesterday has garnered all the right headlines. Tens of billions of pounds in investment [...]
Alex Salmond obituary: The Scottish firebrand who shook up British politics October 14, 2024 Alex Salmond was the dominant figure in Scottish politics of the past three decades. He led the Scottish National Party for 20 years, was the first pro-independence First Minister of Scotland and brought about a referendum on the Union which ended his front-line career but put to bed any lingering notion that a separate Scotland was unimaginable.
Why Georgia’s capital Tbilisi is the most fascinating city in Europe October 7, 2024 Towering over the Georgian capital of Tbilisi is Mtatsminda Park, a Soviet-era fairground and gardens set atop a craggy hill. Accessed by a funicular railway, you will find a host of terrifying, creaky old amusement rides, including the 65-metre-high Giant Wheel, which seems to bow outwards over the edge of a sheer cliff. Dotted around [...]
What’s life really like as a politician’s wife on the campaign trail? October 7, 2024 When James Cracknell told his wife he was standing as a Tory MP, she thought it would be all fetes and flyers. How wrong she was…. Melania Trump’s highly anticipated memoir is set to be released today. In a video released on 5 Sept, she promised to “share her perspective” and to “clarify the facts”. [...]
Ex-cabinet secretary says £200,000 job is ‘massively underpaid’ October 6, 2024 Ex-cabinet secretary Gus O'Donnell has said the UK's most senior civil servant is "massively underpaid" at £200,000 per year.