African countries on average spend more on interest payments on their debt than on their public health programmes. But Africa’s overall level of debt is tiny in comparison to levels notched up by the developed world. The debt-to-GDP ratio in most African countries is below the IMF’s suggested 55% threshold as well as far below […]
Category Archives: Op-ed
2026 Ahem
PEAGE PINTXOS BANISTER: May 2026
Ahem, I travelled down to La Hune with Jurrat and Jessie in a well-loaded car [...]
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01
Jun
Jun
2026 Ahem
MUSKETS SHRIFT RAPT: April 2026
Ahem Alli and I were up and early on Good Friday to be driven with [...]
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30
Apr
Apr
Professional Writing Writing
They awoke…
The hidden past of the bisexual pronoun Those of all political and cultural persuasions [...]
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2026 Ahem
BABY FAIRYLAND TWITTEN: March 2026
Ahem I was about to open a pile of birthday cards when I was encouraged [...]
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30
Mar
Mar
2026 Ahem
QUOTIDIAN HAMMERHEAD HIPPO: February 2026
Ahem Rain and colder weather in southern England dominated the first few days of the [...]
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02
Mar
Mar
Just 50 years ago, most large companies saw brands as the prime creators of value, but they hardly troubled to assess corporate reputation. It did not seem to create or even affect value. Investors focussed on share price, profit, turnover; connections were made through stockbrokers, agents and financial media. The practice of communications was simple, […]
There is a demolition going on, barely reported by the mainstream media. British liberal democracy is being battered, dismantled, and demolished by illiberal populism hiding behind the myth of sovereignty, or ‘taking our country back’. The wrecking ball is already in full swing. The first big victim will be the British economy itself, until a […]
What are hedge funds? Why have hedge funds become involved in UK politics? To explain what hedge funds are and their involvement in UK politics, the meaning of a few other terms needs to be made clear. ‘Shorting’ is how all hedge funds make their money. Think of it in terms of betting on the […]
24
Mar
Mar
Waving a British flag around in public to garner votes has never been a commonplace British activity. It used to be considered rather tasteless, and for colour coordination it’s not exactly the greatest fashion accessory. Waving the flag (when not at war) happened on military occasions, ceremonies of international sporting events, or when the Queen […]
There is a demolition going on, hardly reported in the news and almost never by the BBC or the most of the press. The demolition is that of the British economy, until this year sustained by external trade and investor confidence. Britain’s economy is collapsing under the weight of a double debt overhang, both of […]
17
Feb
Feb
Those of all political and cultural persuasions will be delighted to hear the exciting news. The old pronoun they, apparently re-purposed for new duty by the thought police, is not just a new way to hide gender-specific pronoun and possessive uses like he and she, him and her. In fact they was the word used […]
29
Jan
Jan
Just over 80 years ago on 16 June 1940, the British government made an offer to the crumbling French government facing the advance of German Nazi forces. It was for a political union of the UK and the French Republic, effective immediately. The offer came too late. There was no reply and on the next […]
Op-ed, Portfolio, Blog
Brand value and reputation management after Covid-19: From PR to sustainable integrity
17
Jan
Jan
We have all lived through and are still living through significant changes in corporate affairs and communications in the past generation. The past year of confinements, restrictions and lockdowns has been disastrous for many businesses and instructive and insightful for those dealing with reputation management. But how to prepare for the new market conditions after […]
10
Jan
Jan
On the same day that the UK ceased trading with the free movement privileges of an EU member and imposed new crippling trade barriers on itself in the name of pride, sovereignty and independence, African countries opened for business their trade borders and markets under the terms of its African continental free trade agreement. Duty-free […]