If you had to advise somebody on how to achieve their dreams, what would you say? You do not need to spend hundreds of pounds on self-help books — or be an arch-Thatcherite — to see that having a vision... Read more
For a few days at the start of the year, it appeared that Boris Johnson’s pre-Christmas troubles were behind him. The polls steadied and his Tory backbench critics credited him with taking a proportionate approach to the latest Covid surge.... Read more
A colleague described Rules of the Game as “HR noir”, and I can’t top that. It is billed as “a workplace drama inspired by the Harvey Weinstein scandal”, which sounds terribly po-faced. Actually, it’s a mad thriller in which Maxine... Read more
Curtis, who was missing her children, fought with Cleese openly on set; the producer Michael Shamberg’s driver head-butted other set drivers, and most of the supporting cast, which included Ronnie Corbett and Play School actor Derek Griffiths, vied with one... Read more
A probe of government-owned artworks has been paused, after it emerged that pieces depicting the victories of Admiral Lord Nelson and Sir Francis Drake were listed “under review”. An 1835 canvas illustrating the Battle of Trafalgar that hangs in Britain’s... Read more
Another factor at play was the fact that while Number 10 staff had continued to turn up for work throughout lockdown, other government departments and almost the entirety of the civil service were working from home, even after the return... Read more
I was one of only eight people at my dad’s funeral Kerry Ashby, 55, business coach from Cambridgeshire My dad Albert moved into a care home in February 2020, which was obviously very unfortunate timing. When the pandemic got going... Read more
Boris Johnson must resign if he broke lockdown rules, Tory politicians warned on Tuesday as support for the Prime Minister ebbed away over new Downing Street party allegations. A poll found that 66 per cent of voters want Mr Johnson... Read more
Her anger was shared by former colleagues at Holyrood, with one telling the Daily Telegraph that Tory MSPs would be “cartwheeling down the Royal Mile” if Mr Johnson was forced to quit. Another told The Telegraph the furore was the... Read more
These messages, sent in November 2020, were not disclosed to Lord Geidt when he exonerated Mr Johnson of wrongdoing in an earlier inquiry and called into question the Prime Minister’s claim he “knew nothing” of the payments until February last... Read more
The civil servant who runs Boris Johnson’s private office is facing claims of involvement in another boozy gathering in Downing Street that may have broken lockdown rules. Martin Reynolds, the principal private secretary to the Prime Minister, attended a gathering... Read more
In June 2009, Mr Campbell wrote of a lunch with Ms Gray at which she urged him to stand as a Labour candidate in time for the 2010 General Election that Gordon Brown lost. “To my surprise [she] felt really... Read more
Legal experts said given that the alleged party in May 2020 took place inside the Prime Minister’s home it would be unlikely that he could face a fixed penalty notice for attending an illegal gathering. But Adam Wagner, a human... Read more
Threadneedle Street surprised markets when it raised the Bank Rate just before Christmas. Millions of borrowers on variable rate and tracker mortgages faced an immediate increase in their loan repayments. It has taken less than a month for those on... Read more
Prices have risen by more than 5pc in the past year and there is growing unease at the Bank of England that inflation is here to stay even as the pandemic comes to an end. The Consumer Prices Index is... Read more
People living in the London boroughs of Westminster, Wandsworth and the City of London, however, pay £829, £845 and £1,049. A 5pc rise in council tax would therefore cost a homeowner in Nottingham £111 per year. This is 170pc more... Read more
Surveyors and lenders have rejected the Government’s move to free hundreds of thousands of flat owners from cladding turmoil by refusing to change their fire safety policy. Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove changed a bureaucratic technicality which should make it... Read more
Soaring house prices and record demand for detached family homes mean many downsizing older homeowners will receive enormous windfalls when they sell up. But the cash generated could be considerably less than they banked on. A capital gains tax trap... Read more
Rising inflation, uncertainty about the omicron variant and central banks putting up interest rates form a potentially explosive backdrop for stock markets after they rose steadily in 2021. On top of that, Legal & General Investment Management’s Emiel van den... Read more
Here we have a company that is currently loss-making, whose main customers are under pressure from the public, politicians and environmental campaigners alike not to spend money on its core activities and whose share price chart for the bulk of... Read more
Metro Bank received the worst Which? rating for online banking security overall, while digital bank Monzo was scored as having the worst security on its app due to not asking for a password every time users logged in. The findings... Read more
Reasons not to consolidate your pensions Combining all your pensions may not be the right answer for you. This is where it’s a good idea to talk to a financial adviser or use a guidance service before taking any action.... Read more
Younger investors have beaten older counterparts since the start of the pandemic, taking advantage of the excellent returns offered by investment trusts. Savers under the age of 24 have been the best performing age group since the beginning of 2020,... Read more
Young savers have returned £34m in Isa bonuses which were supposed to help fund the cost of buying their first home. Would-be first-time buyers handed back record sums from their Lifetime Isas in the last tax year, money that had... Read more
AA president Edmund King said: “By making mobile phone use as socially unacceptable as drink driving, we are taking big steps to making our roads safer.” Newer drivers can tow heavier trailers Prior to 16 December 2021, the rules governing... Read more