Londoner’s Diary
Trendy events space 180 Studios is the go-to for exclusive fashion parties and left field art exhibitions, but it recently played host to crowds of suited businessmen and women for the Financial Times Annual Party. There were a clutch of Labour politicians in attendance, including Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds and Chancellor Rachel Reeves, who was all smiles chatting to the FT’s editor, Roula Khalaf.
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While Home Secretary Yvette Cooper worked the room, we found her husband, the Labour MP turned podcaster Ed Balls, propping up the bar with the FT’s Robert Shrimsley. Balls had been on Good Morning Britain that day showing off some Gen Z slang he learned, including “drip”, “no cap”, and “bussin”. He was slightly hazy on the meanings. His children need not be embarrassed though, as they have different surnames. Balls told us that he was bullied and called “all sorts of nicknames” as a youngster, so he and Yvette Cooper opted to give their children her surname. “I didn’t want them to go through what I went through at school,” he said. They decided double barrelling wasn’t an option, although friends fondly refer to them as the Ballscoopers.
Holding court among all the suits and ties was Grayson Perry in a pink frock and platform boots. He made good use of the open bar, which was serving spicy margaritas and negronis. It’s clearly been an annus mirabilis for the FT: as well as free flowing cocktails there was a table covered with expensive charcuterie, a fresh pasta bar and a goodie bag filled with Penhaligon’s cologne, an Aspinal wallet and a bespoke FT coffee called the Daily Scoop. Hats off.
