Channel 4’s funding model vs the BBC licence fee November 25, 2021 Channel 4 receives no public funding despite being a publicly-owned not-for-profit corporation, with no shareholders. It is funded entirely by its own commercial activities, and most of its income comes from advertising revenue. Ch4 doesn’t make any programmes in-house and instead commissions them from UK production companies. Any profits go back into programme-making, which allows [...]
Soaring inflation in construction could spell disaster for housing in England November 25, 2021 The construction industry has been hit badly by inflation. Material prices are up: in terms of year on year increase, structural steel is at 65 per cent, reinforcement steel is at 62 per cent and plywood is at 56 per cent. Familiar supply chain problems are causing delays, and the cost of both energy and [...]
In defence of Peppa Pig, an unlikely flagbearer of Britain’s financial finesse November 25, 2021 Whisper it softly, but hidden in Boris Johnson’s bungled speech to the CBI on Monday, was a half decent idea struggling to get out. Forget the repeated apologies, the shuffled papers or the bizarre anecdote about his weekend, the star of the show was Peppa Pig, that irritating cartoon creature that toddlers adore. As the [...]
Sin taxes on smoking and sugar harm the people they’re supposed to help November 25, 2021 According to an economic study published last month, 90 per cent of all “sin taxes” on tobacco, alcohol and soft drinks in the US are paid by just 20 per cent of households. Eighty per cent of the taxes are paid by just ten per cent of households. This tax burden tends to fall disproportionately [...]
If we’re coughing up for the social care levy, the reforms need to build new foundations November 25, 2021 Once again social care is in the headlines and, once again, it’s about arguments and bad news. The government’s proposals for a cap on a person’s lifetime care costs from 2023 met a lukewarm reception when they were first announced in September. People were looking for more targeted investment and wider reform that would make [...]
Lush’s social media boycott won’t cut it for big tech November 24, 2021 Lush, the trendy cosmetics and soap company, has announced that until social media giants provide a “safer environment for users”, they will close all of the company’s “brand, retail and people accounts” on certain platforms. Given recent revelations from Facebook whistleblowers, this move, which could dent Lush’s bottom line, is laudable. But this knight in [...]
A rich tradition of English law has always kept our EU rivals on their toes November 24, 2021 It’s the economy, stupid, was the refrain coined by James Carville to help Bill Clinton win his 1992 presidential campaign. The US was experiencing an economic recession and the incumbent president, George HW Bush, was seen as out of touch. Yet the levers for prosperity are few in number. The main ones are tax rates, [...]
Think petrol panic buying was bad? Wait til you see what’s (not) in store this Christmas November 24, 2021 It is that time of year again: ice skating, cold, clear blue skies, fairy lights decorating Oxford Street, and fears about having enough Christmas toys on the shelves. There are two key themes to this year’s scare stories. First, supply problems could lead to a deluge of children missing out on the most popular toys. [...]
China’s persecution of Peng Shuai is shocking, but Hong Kongers aren’t surprised November 24, 2021 Few incidents have brought more public scrutiny about the exercise of power in China than the abuse of tennis champion Peng Shuai. The former doubles world No1 spoke out about violence against women publicly and accused a senior Chinese government official of sexual assault. Then, with shocking predictability, disappeared. Unlike the craven acquiescence to the [...]
Alastair Campbell on seeing a person’s value, not just their mental illness November 23, 2021 | City Talk During his London Episode session, mental health campaigner Alastair Campbell called on CAs to use their influence to put mental wellbeing at the heart of business. One of the main divers for Alastair Campbell’s focus on mental health campaigning was his late brother Donald, who was diagnosed with schizophrenia. “Donald held down the same job [...]