Any other business
A lesson in survival from pre-21st century Marks & Spencer
When I wrote last week about business-to-business pain-sharing for survival, I was naturally thinking first about UK companies. I say…
At least some of the Chancellor’s promises are actually working
The phrase ‘sharing economy’ was coined a decade or so ago to describe collaborative new business models made possible by…
Spare a thought for the poor estate agents
The suspension of the residential property market is disheartening for those who were hoping to buy a first flat or…
Have you been invited to a Zoom cocktail party yet?
The CBI’s guidelines on ‘best practice for business’ during the pandemic tell the 1,500 larger companies that make up the…
Airlines are no special case when we all need a bailout
The world needs airlines — and, barring Armageddon, will still have some when this crisis is over. It will also…
The antidote to virus panic is in the hands of entrepreneurs
‘It’s a ghost town,’ said the officer manning the body scanner at Manchester airport — Manchester, New Hampshire, that is,…
Britain’s economic fate doesn’t depend on Heathrow
Hit-and-miss, heavy-handed, but a necessary use of justice to deter repetition. That was my summing-up, last year, of the Serious…
Coronavirus is a chance to buy cheaper – but it comes with a health warning
If anything, stock markets have been slow to respond to the spreading coronavirus outbreak. Stories of Chinese supply interruptions, from…
Time for new leadership at Barclays and HSBC – and a new name at RBS
After a dull interlude, the big banks in their annual results season look a bit more interesting again. First to…
Never mind the numbers – the boardroom gender battle has barely begun
It’s the way the world’s going, but still it looks quite impressive that the number of women directors of FTSE100…
Is it worse to be an environmental polluter or a moral one?
So farewell Bernie Ebbers, former chief executive of WorldCom, the long–distance phone operator that became America’s biggest-ever bankruptcy case in…
The most sinister thing about Huawei may be how clean it is
I first wrote about the risks and rumours around Huawei — and made bad jokes about its name — in…
HS2’s completion is as likely as King Harry’s coronation
Seven years ago, when HS2 was still officially costed at £33 billion, I wrote that I was looking forward to…
Never mind the royals – the real national crisis is at John Lewis
Asked to name British institutions they’d rather not see shaken to the foundations, many consumers would list the John Lewis…
All forecasts are off if Iran shuts the Strait of Hormuz
Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water… Late last year, a range of forecasts…
Neil Woodford could do the washing-up at my fantasy Christmas lunch
It’s the season for kindness and conviviality. In that spirit — and recognising that business, like personal life, rarely follows…
Take note, Peloton: sweaty blokes make safer marketing
You’ll have had enough of politics and punditry, so let me introduce a non-political City debate (even if rather a…
The RMT strike is a demonstration of what to expect in a Corbyn-McDonnell regime
It’s unusual for a Governor of the Bank of England to announce his next job before Downing Street has named…
There’s no need to mourn the loss of Uber’s London licence
Early experiences of Uber in London did not encourage me to become a regular user. My first driver thought I…
Even Elon Musk thinks Brexit Britain is a risky prospect
Having been awarded the title of business editor of this paper by Boris Johnson in his former incarnation, I know…
Why China is planting its flag on what’s left of British Steel
It cannot be other than good news that a rescuer has been found for the bankrupt remains of British Steel,…
Drill down and it’s obvious: the fracking debate was lost long ago
Five years ago this week, George Osborne as chancellor announced a scheme to place tax revenues from shale gas fracking…
Sajid Javid has become the doormat Chancellor
Mario Draghi, who retired as president of the European Central Bank this week, was arguably the first holder of that…
Is living at sea the best way to escape this Brexit nightmare?
The first time I was ever commissioned by the Daily Mail, the voice on the phone said: ‘You used to…
Why I welcome the collapse of Facebook’s currency
When Facebook announced details earlier this year of a global digital currency called Libra — backed by a roll call…
