Tim Focas

1. Article · Aug 5, 2026 · Tim Focas

   David Brent was supposed to be a satire, now he looks like a model for political leaders (opens the original)

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   Attention-seeking, self-absorbed and desperate to be liked, David Brent was meant to embody everything a leader should not be – but today’s media landscape rewards the very qualities Ricky Gervais satirised, says Tim Focas A Tiktok clip has gone viral for comparing Andy Burnham to David Brent. His cheesy mannerisms, dad dancing and guitar playing are all eerily reminiscent of the Ricky Gervais character that hit our screens 25 years ago. But Brent was supposed to be a satire, not a blueprint for

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2. Article · Jul 14, 2026 · Tim Focas

   Here's an idea for you Gary Stevenson: a 0 per cent wealth tax (opens the original)

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   Gary Stevenson’s success lies in translating a highly complicated economic problem into an emotional story people instinctively understand. The trouble is that successful communication is not really about popularity, it is about ensuring the policy underpinning the message can survive contact with a political and economic reality, says Tim Focas Eye catching, the audience wants to believe it, while the reveal delivers rapturous applause – the wealth tax has become the political equivalent of a m

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