There is a longstanding convention in British politics that, when prime ministers stand down from office, they retire from the limelight and do not publicly criticise policies adopted by their successors.
From Margaret Thatcher through to David Cameron, the main activity of departed prime ministers has been to concentrate their energies on writing their memoirs – with varying degrees of literary success – thereby seeking to define their legacy.
The only notable exception to this convention was Edward Heath who, having lost office in 1974, never came to terms with the fact that Thatcher, whom he believed had been less than supportive of his government, had replaced him as leader of the Conservative Party. For the entire period of her tenure in Downing Street, from 1979 to 1990, Heath remained a stubborn and vociferous critic of her policies from his seat in the House of Commons, an attitude derogatively referred to by his Tory colleagues as “the great sulk”.
Margaret Thatcher and Edward Heath, left, supposedly did not get on very well despite being from the same political party. Getty Images
Recent attacks by Theresa May on the approach being adopted by Boris Johnson, her successor and fellow Conservative, have therefore raised the prospect of another Heath-like stand-off.
When Mrs May was forced to stand down from office a year ago over her bungled handling of the Brexit negotiations, there was a general consensus that she would simply retire to her Oxfordshire home to write her memoirs and devote her time to local constituency issues. After nearly 20 years of holding a succession of senior positions, from chairman of the Conservative party in 2002 through to her appointment as prime minister in 2016, most of her colleagues believed she deserved her well-earned retirement.
Yet, going by her increasingly critical tone towards Mr Johnson, she clearly does not believe that just because she is no longer a Downing Street resident, her political career has drawn to a close. On the contrary, in recent months Mrs May has used her position as a backbench MP to attack the Prime Minister's handling of the Brexit negotiations with the European Union as well as his government’s less-than-impressive handling of the coronavirus pandemic.
Most recently, Mrs May criticised the Prime Minister for appointing a trusted confidant as national security adviser last month.
Since its inception under David Cameron in 2010, the National Security Council (NSC) has been given responsibility for safeguarding the country's interests. They concern overseeing military operations overseas, such as the recent campaigns in Afghanistan and against ISIS, as well as deliberating over whether the Chinese telecoms giant Huawei should be allowed to participate in the construction of Britain's new 5G network.
One of the reasons for Mark Sedwill's departure as NSA could be the support he received from Theresa May. Reuters
During her time as home secretary and then prime minister, Mrs May regularly attended NSC meetings and was responsible for the appointment of Mark Sedwill, the organisation's current head. Consequently, she was deeply alarmed when Mr Johnson announced last weekend that he was appointing David Frost, his chief Brexit negotiator, to replace Mr Sedwill.
For several months, Mr Johnson has been keen to replace Mr Sedwill – who previously served as Nato’s ambassador to Afghanistan – following concerns that, by holding the positions of head of Britain's civil service and cabinet secretary in addition to his national security responsibilities, he exerted too much influence in government.
Indeed, the fact that he had become the most powerful civil servant of modern times was due in no small measure to his close relationship with Mrs May, who regarded him as a trusted ally and promoted him to all three roles. In such circumstances, therefore, it was hardly surprising that Mr Johnson should want to replace an official who was so closely associated with his predecessor’s administration.
David Frost will take over from Mark Sedwill as the UK's national security adviser. AFP
This did not prevent Mrs May from launching a blistering attack on Mr Johnson in Parliament this week.
"I served on the National Security Council for nine years – six years as home secretary and three as prime minister," Mrs May said. "During that time, I listened to the expert independent advice from national security advisers. Why, then, is the new national security adviser a political appointee with no proven experience in national security?”
In response, Michael Gove, the Cabinet Office Minister, pointed out – with some justification – that not all the previous incumbents had been steeped in national security issues before their appointments, and that, just like Mr Frost, they had enjoyed distinguished diplomatic careers prior to taking over the national security role.
Mrs May may have been correct to question Mr Johnson’s high-handed treatment of Mr Sedwill. But her intervention demonstrates that her antipathy towards Mr Johnson, which dates back to her time in office, has not abated.
Then British foreign secretary Boris Johnson, left, and former prime minister Theresa May at the UN headquarters in New York in September 2017. AP Photo
Mrs May's appointment as prime minister in 2016 was mainly due to the failure of Mr Johnson – who was then the front-runner for the job – to muster an effective campaign strategy. Consequently, when she won the Tory ballot she was obliged to give him a senior position in her government, appointing him foreign secretary. Even so, she never fully trusted him, and kept him at arm's length from the inner sanctum of her government. Her suspicions about Mr Johnson's loyalty ultimately proved to be correct when he resigned his post in 2018 in protest at the Brexit deal Mrs May had negotiated with the EU.
So far as Britain’s national security is concerned, it is now up to Mr Frost to demonstrate that Mr Johnson has made the right call. But the willingness of Mrs May to publicly lambast her successor over the decision suggests that, unlike most previous occupants of Downing Street, the former prime minister has little intention of slipping quietly into the sunset of her career.
Con Coughlin is the Telegraph’s defence and foreign affairs editor
BULKWHIZ PROFILE
Date started: February 2017
Founders: Amira Rashad (CEO), Yusuf Saber (CTO), Mahmoud Sayedahmed (adviser), Reda Bouraoui (adviser)
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: E-commerce
Size: 50 employees
Funding: approximately $6m
Investors: Beco Capital, Enabling Future and Wain in the UAE; China's MSA Capital; 500 Startups; Faith Capital and Savour Ventures in Kuwait
Funding to date: Estimated $300,000 from Hub71 in-kind support
The design
The protective shell is covered in solar panels to make use of light and produce energy. This will drastically reduce energy loss.
More than 80 per cent of the energy consumed by the French pavilion will be produced by the sun.
The architecture will control light sources to provide a highly insulated and airtight building.
The forecourt is protected from the sun and the plants will refresh the inner spaces.
A micro water treatment plant will recycle used water to supply the irrigation for the plants and to flush the toilets. This will reduce the pavilion’s need for fresh water by 30 per cent.
Energy-saving equipment will be used for all lighting and projections.
Beyond its use for the expo, the pavilion will be easy to dismantle and reuse the material.
Some elements of the metal frame can be prefabricated in a factory.
From architects to sound technicians and construction companies, a group of experts from 10 companies have created the pavilion.
Work will begin in May; the first stone will be laid in Dubai in the second quarter of 2019.
Construction of the pavilion will take 17 months from May 2019 to September 2020.
Online grocer Ocado revealed retail sales fell 5.7 per cen in its first quarter as customers switched back to pre-pandemic shopping patterns.
It was a tough comparison from a year earlier, when the UK was in lockdown, but on a two-year basis its retail division, a joint venture with Marks&Spencer, rose 31.7 per cent over the quarter.
The group added that a 15 per cent drop in customer basket size offset an 11.6. per cent rise in the number of customer transactions.
Abu Dhabi traffic facts
Drivers in Abu Dhabi spend 10 per cent longer in congested conditions than they would on a free-flowing road
The highest volume of traffic on the roads is found between 7am and 8am on a Sunday.
Travelling before 7am on a Sunday could save up to four hours per year on a 30-minute commute.
The day was the least congestion in Abu Dhabi in 2019 was Tuesday, August 13.
The highest levels of traffic were found on Sunday, November 10.
Drivers in Abu Dhabi lost 41 hours spent in traffic jams in rush hour during 2019
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
The specs: 2018 Audi R8 V10 RWS
Price: base / as tested: From Dh632,225
Engine: 5.2-litre V10
Gearbox: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 540hp @ 8,250rpm
Torque: 540Nm @ 6,500rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 12.4L / 100km
If you go
The flights
Emirates and Etihad fly direct to Nairobi, with fares starting from Dh1,695. The resort can be reached from Nairobi via a 35-minute flight from Wilson Airport or Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, or by road, which takes at least three hours.
The rooms
Rooms at Fairmont Mount Kenya range from Dh1,870 per night for a deluxe room to Dh11,000 per night for the William Holden Cottage.
Company Profile
Name: Thndr Started: 2019 Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr Sector: FinTech Headquarters: Egypt UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi Current number of staff: More than 150 Funds raised: $22 million
Avatar: Fire and Ash
Director: James Cameron
Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana
Future plan: Looking to raise fresh capital and expand in Saudi Arabia
Total Clients: Over 50
Dubai works towards better air quality by 2021
Dubai is on a mission to record good air quality for 90 per cent of the year – up from 86 per cent annually today – by 2021.
The municipality plans to have seven mobile air-monitoring stations by 2020 to capture more accurate data in hourly and daily trends of pollution.
These will be on the Palm Jumeirah, Al Qusais, Muhaisnah, Rashidiyah, Al Wasl, Al Quoz and Dubai Investment Park.
“It will allow real-time responding for emergency cases,” said Khaldoon Al Daraji, first environment safety officer at the municipality.
“We’re in a good position except for the cases that are out of our hands, such as sandstorms.
“Sandstorms are our main concern because the UAE is just a receiver.
“The hotspots are Iran, Saudi Arabia and southern Iraq, but we’re working hard with the region to reduce the cycle of sandstorm generation.”
Mr Al Daraji said monitoring as it stood covered 47 per cent of Dubai.
There are 12 fixed stations in the emirate, but Dubai also receives information from monitors belonging to other entities.
“There are 25 stations in total,” Mr Al Daraji said.
“We added new technology and equipment used for the first time for the detection of heavy metals.
“A hundred parameters can be detected but we want to expand it to make sure that the data captured can allow a baseline study in some areas to ensure they are well positioned.”
BORDERLANDS
Starring: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart, Jamie Lee Curtis
