Labour’s relationship with business was never a love match September 30, 2024 A shambolic ‘business day’ at Labour Party conference reveals the government’s true feelings about the City, says Eliot Wilson Only those addicted to Sir Keir Starmer’s own-brand Flavor Aid would claim that last week’s Labour Party conference was an unqualified success. Assessments were mixed, but it was not the joyful fiesta a new government might [...]
Sadiq Khan meets NBA chiefs with potential London return on cards September 26, 2024 London mayor Sadiq Khan today met the NBA Deputy Commissioner as hopes of a NBA return to London grew further. The pair spoke on Thursday “to discuss their shared ambition to expand the sport’s reach and influence in the capital, including through live NBA games”. “I want to do big events, whether it’s Wrestlemania, whether [...]
Pay tax on your gifts, top accountancy firm warns politicians amid Labour row September 26, 2024 Politicians should pay tax on gifts in the same way that other industries and individuals do, a leading accountant has said. Currently, firms and workers in sectors where gifting is commonplace and an element of their profession – such as the media industry or online influencers – are made pay to income tax and, in [...]
Cut Starmer some slack, three months hasn’t undone his victory September 26, 2024 The Labour Party is having some teething issues, but three months is hardly enough to judge Starmer by, writes Will Cooling.
‘Grown up’ Sue Gray is looking like a political ingenue September 23, 2024 Sue Gray awarding herself a more generous salary than the Prime Minister’s betrays a high-handed and naive approach to politics, says Eliot Wilson When the BBC revealed last week that Sue Gray, the Prime Minister’s chief of staff, earned more than her boss, the story developed in a number of different ways. Some felt that [...]
S4 Capital: Revenue down and debt up at Sir Martin Sorrell’s ad giant September 19, 2024 Sir Martin Sorrell’s S4 Capital’s post-pandemic struggles have carried through into its latest results, which revealed a sharp decline in revenue and ballooning debt. The London-listed media holding group, which ad guru Sorrell founded after a sudden exit from WPP in 2018, saw its net revenue reduce by 15.6 per cent from £445.5m to £375.1m [...]
CFA: Chartered financial analyst chief steps down after nearly two decades September 17, 2024 The chief executive of the organisation representing chartered financial analysts, CFA UK, is set to step down from his role after nearly two decades in the position. Will Goodhart, who took over CFA’s leadership in 2006, said today that he will be stepping down in early 2025, and the group’s board has begun searching for [...]
Keir Starmer: Policies that inhibit growth will be in the ‘no column’ September 17, 2024 “If it promotes economic growth, it’s in the Yes column — if it is inhibiting growth, it’s in the No column,” he reportedly said.
Sanctimonious Starmer falls short of his own standards September 17, 2024 As Keir Starmer faces questions over a £5,000 donation towards his wife’s wardrobe, the Prime Minister is finding out that decency in public life isn’t an automatic function of not being a Tory, writes Alys Denby When Victoria Starmer entered Downing Street for the first time wearing a Me+Em dress in Labour rose red, the [...]
Who’d be ambassador to President Trump? September 9, 2024 Peter Mandelson and David Miliband are rumoured to be in the frame for British ambassador to Washington, but only if Kamala Harris wins. That’s a mistake. A Trump victory would demand a diplomatic heavyweight, says Eliot Wilson By the beginning of next year, Dame Karen Pierce will have served as British ambassador to the United [...]