Entrepreneurs are an asset to grow. The government must give them time to thrive September 14, 2020 “Energy is eternal delight.” Heed the words of William Blake, because entrepreneurial energy is the dynamo that has powered the UK economy and transformed the business scene in recent times. The worry has to be that this is not a year that suggests this energy is eternal, and the mistake is to assume the resilience [...]
The world may seem bleak right now, but Team Human can still have the last laugh August 10, 2020 “A day without laughter is a day wasted.” Words of wisdom from the twentieth century comic genius that was Charlie Chaplin. But whatever 2020 is ultimately remembered for, it seems set to be a year where very few of its days will have been characterised by cheerfulness. The epic challenge presented by the Covid-19 pandemic, [...]
Heed Churchill’s words to the nation: Stand firm and carry on March 23, 2020 “If you’re going through hell, keep going.” These words, often attributed to Britain’s then wartime Prime Minister Winston Churchill, are emblematic of his call to never, never, never give up. Today, the world is living through a new hell, fighting a silent invader which moves remorselessly on, ripping through societies, undoing markets, and overturning seemingly [...]
Human ingenuity and working together will pull us through the coronavirus crisis March 9, 2020 Last week, Bank of England governor Mark Carney gave his economic view of the possible consequences of coronavirus: he expects it to cause “disruption” and not “destruction”. In saying this, he follows the measured words of the health secretary, Matt Hancock, who made the point that preparing for the worst is the job at hand. [...]
Boris has a war to fight, and he’s going to need all the friends he can get February 10, 2020 “Every time a friend succeeds, I die a little.” Epigrammatic prose from the US patrician, Gore Vidal. The line serves as a cautionary note on how to lose friends and not influence people — one that another talented communicator of our time, the Prime Minister, might want to heed. Boris Johnson went to bat last [...]
The new Downing Street team can’t afford to ignore business January 27, 2020 Political wisdom has it that the first hundred days of any new government is its most vital opportunity to set its agenda. Not so with this government. Having just racked up its first 50 days, it risks accusations of being coy by its lack of public visibility and the paucity of new policy proclamations since [...]
Founders need the stamina to run a marathon, not a sprint January 13, 2020 Who’d have thought it? Turns out that marathons are good for you. New research last week revealed that one of the best ways to reduce your cardiovascular age is to get your jogging shoes on and complete the mammoth test of endurance. This comes despite years of expert warnings that this type of exercise was [...]
This is a political renaissance — but can British business adapt? December 17, 2019 “A horse, a horse, my kingdom for a horse.” As history buffs will know, the Battle of Bosworth Field didn’t work out well for Richard III, and with it the last of the titanic struggles of the War of the Roses. Described by Shakespeare as “the one big battle”, this event was to finally settle [...]
Farewell to a decade of seismic change and existential anxiety December 2, 2019 You’d be forgiven for not having a moment to notice, but this is a decade that is fast running out of time. The 2010s began with the unease of the consequences of the financial crash. They end with another dose of unease, this time both political and economic. Theresa May tried to win an election [...]
Business cannot afford to sleep through this election November 18, 2019 Things can only get better — 1997, and not only a song for D:ream but an anthem that swept Tony Blair’s New Labour from obscurity to office. His hand-written message to the nation was “do it”. Do what? None of us knew, but who cared? The country opened its heart in droves at the ballot [...]
