Recover that Olympic spirit to give London back its mojo October 21, 2019 “Inspire a generation.” That was the slogan for the London 2012 Olympic Games, and a memory of a moment when the capital and the country felt confident about the future. Cast your mind back and recall the triumphs of elite athletes, the city at ease with itself, and the country bursting with the pride of [...]
Private schools must learn to turn privilege into purpose October 7, 2019 The heat is on for privilege. As the polarisation of society continues to deepen, private schools risk becoming the tobacco of education. Banning them was a centrepiece of the recent Labour party conference. But the antagonism towards them doesn’t stop there. Even pillars of the Conservative establishment like Michael Gove have questioned the fairness and [...]
Britain’s Goldilocks moment has arrived in the nick of time September 23, 2019 Not too hot, and not too cold. It’s time for the three bears to move over and take the porridge with them, because the temperature of the UK economy points to a Goldilocks moment arriving just in the nick of time. A low-inflation fairy tale has come to the aid of a nation grappling with [...]
Only an election can sail the ship of state through the Brexit storms September 9, 2019 “The world is not interested in the storms you encountered, but did you bring in the ship?” So wrote the twentieth-century writer of sea stories, William McFee. While the quote has some of the barnacles of age, it’s a good challenge to those seeking to steer the ship of state. For the briefly-abated Brexit hurricane [...]
Filled with HS2 fever? No? Then let’s think up something better August 27, 2019 HS2, the unloved child of British infrastructure, looks like a goner. And while those into trains might spot that there is a review underway, there can be little doubt that this in itself sends a terminal signal to a project that once seemed to offer a glimpse of what a brave new British future might [...]
Chill out, take a breath, and don’t worry about wasting time August 12, 2019 Shrimp salad and a gin and tonic for lunch, then back to bed for a snooze. The relaxed recipe for creative genius, as told by Liccy Dahl at a literary event last week, on the work routine of her late husband, Roald. It got me thinking. In a world focused on the need for speed, [...]
We the people need to find a way to dispel the Brexit Blues July 16, 2019 The year is 1989. Ronald Reagan on his last day at the White House makes his farewell address. His message is one of the recovery of morale and national pride during his presidency. He puts it down to three words: “we the people”. In so doing, his message is this: “Freedom of speech, freedom of [...]
Boris is a disruptive dreamer – and that’s what Britain needs July 1, 2019 The feel good factor is to politicians what the lost ark was to Indiana Jones. Much coveted, difficult to find, and once found, very tricky to keep hold of. The latest politician to don the fedora and crack the bullwhip is Boris Johnson, the man who, back in 2012, achieved the ultimate in feel good [...]
Cut the obfuscation and let Britain move beyond Brexit June 17, 2019 Gone ’til November. The lyrics of rapper, activist and one-time Haiti presidential candidate Wyclef Jean. And it is the view of the great many of those vying to be Prime Minister: while we might be in the EU until October, we will be gone by November. You’d be forgiven for raising an eyebrow. Groundhog Day [...]
DEBATE: Can we stop worrying now that earnings are rising at their highest rate in a decade? December 12, 2018 Can we stop worrying now that earnings are rising at their highest rate in a decade? Michael Hayman MBE, co-founder of Seven Hills and co-author of Mission: How the Best in Business Break Through, says YES. May you live in interesting times – the old Chinese curse has found new life in Brexit Britain. Mired in [...]
