Who said it: the Robert Jenrick memo or David Brent?
The fallout from Robert Jenrick’s abrupt and chaotic defection from the Conservatives to Reform UK on Thursday continued over the weekend, with the leaking of a memo prepared by his aides for how he should face the press after the event.The six-page document coaches Jenrick on how to answer some potentially tricky questions.While it reflects the character of the man himself, it also somehow manages to channel the spirit of David Brent, the character created by Stephen Merchant and Ricky Gervais, and played by Gervais in the original UK version of The Office, which aired from 2001 to 2003.With that in mind, your challenge is to decide whether the following nuggets of wisdom come from the office of a senior Conservative defector – or from the philosophical musings of the self-styled “friend first, boss second.Probably entertainer third” at Wernham Hogg in Slough.
Who said it: the Jenrick memo or David Brent?
Denmark welcomes Trump ruling out force to take Greenland, before ‘future deal’ framework announced – as it happened
Denmark’s foreign minister has said Donald Trump’s statement that he would not use force to take Greenland was positive, even though the US president hasn’t dropped his ambitions to acquire the islandLars Lokke Rasmussen told reporters (Bloomberg reports):“What is clear after this speech is that the president’s ambition [to own Greenland] remains intact.“It is, in isolation, positive that it is being said that military force will not be used, but that does not make the problem go away. The challenge is still there.”Big breaking news tonight from Davos: Donald Trump has announced that he and Nato chief Mark Rutte have agreed the framework of a “future deal” over Greenland.It’s not clear what the details are – Trump says the proposed solution would be a great one for the US, and all NATO NationsAnd significantly, Trump says he won’t impose the 10% tariffs threatened on eight European countries including the UK
Why is the UK investing in £6.45bn Kraken when it doesn’t need public money? | Nils Pratley
The state-owned multi-tentacled British Business Bank has never been a simple organisation to understand, but at least one could vaguely grasp its intended role in life. “Our mission is to drive economic growth by helping smaller businesses get the finance they need to start, scale and stay in the UK,” declares its website.Jolly good. For decades, complaints have been heard about gaps in the financing ecosystem for startups and for promising young UK companies, particularly those in tech-related and life science fields, or those spinning out of universities. So one can applaud the existence of a large and distinctly British source of capital to “crowd in”, as politicians like to say, private venture funds
Archive: Davos – hot air in a cold climate
The Observer, 3 January 1971The cult of the management seminar is growing. So is the cost. Anyone with a finely developed sense of the ridiculous will welcome the news that in Davos, Switzerland, later this month 500 of Europe’s top businessmen will each pay about £700 to sit and learn at the feet of such mighty gurus as Herman Kahn and John Kenneth Galbraith.The first European Management Symposium, organised by the Geneva business school, Centre d’Etudes Industrielles, to celebrate its 25th anniversary, will cost each visitor £500 in registration fees, £100 for accommodation, plus travel (£53 fare from London). You can, of course, add a few pounds here and there for drinks and other sundries which businessmen require when they are away from home
UK inflation rises for first time in five months to 3.4% in December
Inflation in the UK rose for the first time in five months to 3.4% in December, pushed up by higher air fares and tobacco prices.The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said the annual inflation rate increased from 3.2% in November after falling in October and flatlining in the previous three months. The figure overshot City economists’s forecasts of a modest rise to 3
Wall Street sees worst day since October after Trump tariff threats
Stock markets fell on both sides of the Atlantic on Tuesday, with Wall Street suffering its worst day since October, as investor concerns persisted over the fallout from Donald Trump’s push for US control of Greenland.The sell-off hit US stocks on the first day of trading in New York since Trump threatened new tariffs on eight European countries, after the market was closed for a public holiday on Monday. The S&P 500 closed down 2.1% while the Dow Jones finished down 1.8%
The government’s retreat from Carillion audit reforms is feeble | Nils Pratley
The wait for the “long-awaited” government bill to reform the audit market is over. It is not because ministers have decided it’s embarrassing that eight years have passed since the collapse of Carillion, the massive corporate failure that reminded everybody that auditing is boring until it matters greatly that outsiders can trust the published numbers. Rather, it is because the government has given up on a reform bill. It would rather give another airing of its “pro-growth” refrain.“While the planned reforms would be beneficial, some would increase costs on business, and it would not be right to prioritise these over more deregulatory measures,” the minister for small business, Blair McDougall, formally told the business select committee
Jimmy Kimmel on the midterms: ‘We can’t have an election soon enough’
Seth Meyers on ICE: ‘An army of out-of-shape uncles’
Adelaide writers’ week 2026 cancelled as board apologises to Randa Abdel-Fattah for ‘how decision was represented’
Civilised but casual, often hilarious, Adelaide writers’ week is everything a festival should be – except this year | Tory Shepherd
Ian McKellen to star as LS Lowry in documentary revealing trove of unheard tapes
Jewish American columnist Thomas Friedman says he was uninvited from 2024 Adelaide writers’ week over ‘timing’