When it was announced last year that Coca-Cola had agreed a two-year sponsorship deal with the owners of the London Eye, the general manager of the company’s UK and Ireland operations said the sponsorship…
The US has been accused of inflicting their commercialised version of Halloween on us, and now we have the horror of the Black Friday “celebrations” in our calendar as well. In the US, this is the day…
When it comes to housing, perspective is crucial. San Francisco.
Andrew Halliday
There is a nice weather map cartoon by Matt featuring the UK characterised by the varied intensity of dinner table house price conversation. And it is not just that we are obsessed with property values…
Having a ball: How politicians can make smiley happy people.
seanbjack
The day is not far off when the economic problem will take the back seat where it belongs, and the arena of the heart and the head will be occupied or reoccupied, by our real problems – the problems of…
An Australian Super Hornet refuels from a KC30 tanker while flying over Iraq.
@VCDF_Australia/Twitter
There are two reasons why we should ignore the growing calls in the United States, Canada and Australia for Western “boots on ground” – meaning ground troops – to fight and destroy the Islamic State (IS…
George Osborne performed his main role at conference: to produce some good news to deflect attention from defection and deviance. Abolishing death taxes while targeting tax avoiders sounds good and the…
Anyone listening to the Scottish Independence debate may wish to have a care for the English regions. Take the West Midlands, equal to the population of Scotland, cradle of the industrial revolution and…
In the balance. Tesco’s woes draw in its auditors as the shares plunge.
Andy Rain/EPA
The news that Tesco overstated its half-year profit guidance by £250m has sent the company’s share price tumbling – and poses serious questions about its auditing and corporate governance. The company…
Saul Newman, American University School of Public Affairs
The average American may struggle with a keen understanding of exactly how the UK is made up, but it’s safe to say that there will be relief in the US at Scotland staying part of the Union. And, following…
While Edinburgh and London wrestle over the future of the pound, it has has been sinking. The slide (especially against the US dollar) is widely seen as a knee-jerk reaction to the possibility of Scotland…
I’m what used to be known in less politically correct times as a whinging pom. Locals, among whom I now count myself, will be relieved to learn that I mainly moan about my former, rather than my adopted…
British regulators have finally made some progress in efforts to keep a lid on the payday lending sector. A cap on costs will reduce the impact on those forced to borrow under the industry’s tough terms…
A tourist train from Sheringham to Holt steams past an offshore wind farm, one of many that have sprung up along the UK coast.
Gerry Balding/Flickr
Australia’s carbon price has gone – but a UK review released this week shows that to lay the foundations for a low-carbon economy, pricing carbon is far from the whole story. Over recent months, as Australia’s…
As UK house prices continue to head sharply higher, Bank of England governor Mark Carney thinks they represent the biggest danger to the economic recovery in Britain. They certainly pose a stern test for…
Divine intervention? The Adonis review offers some lessons.
Tom Blackwell
An economic recovery has emerged in the UK that is unbalanced in social, geographical and sectoral terms. Whether or not decentralisation can improve this might well come down to simple questions of trust…
Scotland may become more like Norway than you think.
Thomas Berg
Scotland’s referendum debate has so far centred mainly on practical issues and medium-term choices like currency, new entities’ share of public debt, and membership of the EU. Far less has been said about…
It is getting harder and harder to prove that you’re “truly British”. With immigration rarely off the front pages and UKIP making waves in election year, a national survey has shown that opinions are hardening…
A lucrative immigration problem: international students at the ISC.
Jirka Matousek
Immigration has risen to the top of the political agenda in the UK. And the popular press has been propelling the bandwagon. “We must stop the immigrant invasion” according to the Daily Express and “enough…
Always the bridesmaid. Until now?
John Stillwell/PA
Based on growing polling evidence, it is highly likely that the UK Independence Party (UKIP) will top the national poll in the European elections. Even though historically UKIP has over-performed in European…
Is Osborne producing a robust recovery?
Dan Himbrechts/EPA
What does the now sustained recovery in the UK and the still tentative signs of recovery in the eurozone tell us? According to some on the right, it says all is good in the world, austerity has been successful…