Higher executive pay is not a silver bullet for UK competitiveness March 4, 2025 Whilst competitive pay is undoubtedly a factor in attracting and retaining talent, it is rarely the sole, or even a major, determinant of a company’s decision to list in a particular market, says Paul Arathoon The recent moves by some of the FTSE 100’s largest companies, such as British American Tobacco and Compass Group, to [...]
AI-men: How Gen Z will join religions created by algorithms March 4, 2025 Bespoke belief systems like tarot and astrology are already gaining popularity with Gen Z – AI will take it further, offering bespoke doctrines, machine-learning-driven prophecies and virtual deities that evolve based on user data, says Paul Armstrong Spirituality is evolving, and Gen Z is leading the charge. Traditional religious affiliation is in freefall (43 out [...]
Starmer’s defence policy is popular, but voters still don’t rate him March 4, 2025 There are decades where nothing happens, and there are weeks where decades happen. This quote — often attributed to history’s other murderous Vladimir, Soviet leader Lenin — could not describe the last week more aptly. The heart-sinking scene of Donald Trump and JD Vance locked in a tense, antagonistic exchange with Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the [...]
Sadiq Khan’s plan to ‘turbocharge’ London’s economy is wilfully naive March 3, 2025 Sadiq Khan’s London Growth Plan is an admirable and ambitious vision for the capital, but its bold projections should be taken with a pinch of salt, says James Ford When running for his historic third term last year, Sadiq Khan claimed to be the “most pro-business Mayor ever”. Now he is putting his money where [...]
Three ways to restore confidence in UK public markets March 3, 2025 To reignite confidence in our public markets, we need domestic reforms that increase liquidity, foster investor confidence, and provide more avenues for capital flow, says Alastair King As Lord Mayor I have the privilege of traveling the world promoting London as a global financial powerhouse. Liberalised trade opens doors for stronger partnerships, smoother business, and [...]
Elon Musk is paying the price for mixing business with politics March 3, 2025 Tesla sales are collapsing in Europe as the public are put off by Elon Musk’s vocal support for Donald Trump. It’s an object lesson in how politics can come at a cost to business, says Eliot Wilson Last week it was reported that Tesla sales in Europe fell by 45 per cent in January compared [...]
I divorced my business partner – here’s how we protected our company March 3, 2025 When James Maguire and his ex-wife Eimear co-founded a law firm they never expected to get divorced. Here he explains how your business doesn’t have end just because your marriage has When Eimear, my now ex-wife, and I co-founded our law firm – Maguire Family Law, over 15 years ago, I never imagined that the [...]
Is Pisces a solution looking for a problem? February 28, 2025 There’s a good reason no other jurisdiction has created a regulated private stock market… argues Delphine Currie Imitation, it is often said, is the sincerest form of flattery, so it’s perhaps for that reason that, in November of last year, the Chancellor resuscitated the previous government’s plans for the world’s first regulated private stock market. [...]
The UK needs a rules-based zoning system for planning February 28, 2025 Under the discretionary planning system created in 1947, no part of England has ever been able to harness private sector development to meet housing targets at the scale we now need. It’s time for a radical overhaul, says Andrew Carter The government has rightly made improving workers’ take-home pay a measure of success for this [...]
What makes a great corporate mascot? February 27, 2025 As Duolingo retires then resurrects its owl, it’s clear that mascots are serious business, says Charlie Skinner First Duolingo retired its owl, then it brought it back from the dead. Publicity stunt? Well yes. And arguably quite an effective one. What’s for certain, though, is that brand mascots mean serious business. Used for millennia by [...]