Category: Business

It was a marathon even by the European Union’s standards. For hours, leaders of countries in the eurozone argued, haggled and shouted at each other. After breaks for refreshment, they argued, haggled and shouted some more. Rumours swirled around the packed media room. Eventually, as Brussels was waking to a new morning, the 17-hour overnight […]

One sometimes wonders whether Boris Johnson is aware you can watch British television in Europe. For either the prime minister was setting himself up for one of the biggest climbdowns – even by his own standards – in modern political history or his dinner on Wednesday night with the EU commission president, Ursula von der […]

There’s no question that the efforts of this country’s healthcare and frontline workers during the coronavirus pandemic have been inspirational. But one other group has also inspired me: the nation’s small business owners. In the midst of a global health crisis and facing draconian restrictions, many restaurateurs have amped up their delivery services, re-jiggered their […]

Many people view the government’s handling of Covid-19 and the Brexit negotiations as incompetent and lacking common sense. But beneath all the controversies about test and trace, PPE and deal or no deal, what if there is an ideological agenda being cunningly and cynically executed during this time of crisis? Boris Johnson once described Covid-19 […]

As Boris Johnson prepares to travel to Brussels in the hope of sealing a Brexit trade deal, he will be armed with a memo from his chief negotiator, Lord Frost. Here are some of the likely key points, big hurdles and potential solutions to be thrashed out at the negotiating table: Deal or no deal?This […]

How have a relative handful of billionaires – whose vast fortunes have soared even during the pandemic – convinced the vast majority of the public that their wealth shouldn’t be taxed in order to support the common good? They have employed one of the oldest methods used by the wealthy to maintain wealth and power […]

Throughout the pandemic, the government has demanded that its citizens give up their liberties and livelihoods in fighting Covid-19, yet it does not stand beside them with sufficient public health and economic support. This could not have been clearer than during Greater Manchester’s negotiations for tier 3 financial support in October. The sums requested to […]