EU referendum: Remain or Leave – a matter of war and peace? May 11, 2016 Invoking Blenheim, Trafalgar, Waterloo, the Great War, and the Battle of Britain, as arguments for UK engagement with Europe and the world was provocative and historically questionable, but to use these conflicts to support UK membership of the EU as essential is just daft. This is dishonest Remain-style parody of “Leave”. No one is advocating [...]
Northern Powerhouse: Businesses and government have a collective responsibility to end youth unemployment and close the skills gap May 11, 2016 With youth unemployment three times the national average, and businesses across all sectors citing the skills gap as one of the biggest barriers to growth, the talent pipeline is one of the most pressing issues facing England’s economy. It is for this reason that today’s announcement by the secretary of state for education, Nicky Morgan, of a new [...]
Don’t hold your breath for EU referendum facts May 11, 2016 On the eve of the 1986 Reykjavik Summit between Gorbachev and Reagan, the US President sought the advice of historian Suzanne Massie, who told him of the old Russian saying: “Trust, but verify.” This piece of wisdom, offered to a President at the height of the Cold War, is perhaps the best approach that today's [...]
Airbnb books place among young savvy travellers May 11, 2016 The tourism industry has been shaken up in dramatic fashion in the past couple of years by the pioneering startup company Airbnb. The company operates in 34,000 cities in 191 countries and has a value of around $25bn (£17.3bn). It allows ordinary homeowners to rent out rooms to holidaymakers, and is popular among those looking [...]
How the Treasury cooked the books in calculating the impact of Brexit May 11, 2016 Three weeks ago, the Treasury released its report into the long-term implications of Brexit, predicting widespread economic destruction. There will soon be a sequel, analysing what the short-term impacts of leaving the EU might be. One doubts you’ll need the foresight of those who successfully predicted a Leicester City Premier League victory to guess what [...]
Is Britain on the edge of recession? History is an unreliable guide to the future May 11, 2016 Concerns are growing about a marked slowdown in the UK economy. The Lloyds Bank purchasing managers’ index, for example, fell to 52.1 in April, its lowest point since 2013. The initial estimate for GDP, total output, in the first quarter of this year shows an increase of just 0.4 per cent on the final quarter [...]
This is Me: How Barclays is breaking mental health stigma – and the rest of the City can too May 11, 2016 Since 2013, Barclays has been working to raise awareness of mental health in the workplace through our campaign “This is Me”. As part of our ambition to be the most accessible and inclusive bank, it is important to Barclays that colleagues can be themselves at work. Addressing the cultural silence around mental health was fundamental [...]
As the founder of US industry giant Lending Club resigns under a cloud, is this the beginning of the end of P2P? May 11, 2016 Bill Blain, a strategist at Mint Partners, says Yes. Lending Club is a long expected smell-the-coffee moment for the sector. The firm sold loans to an investor that did not conform to its instructions, highlighting multiple regulatory risks. The sector is vulnerable to bad news, exacerbating the slow growth and overspending problems many platforms face. It’s [...]
It’s time to celebrate consultants’ contributions May 10, 2016 The public and thousands of organisations benefit hugely each year from the skills and innovation provided by the UK’s world-class consulting firms. For example, partnerships between management consultancies, the private sector and government are improving the management of long-term health conditions, delivering reductions in crime and greater public safety, introducing new digital services, and helping [...]
Whatever next for airlines: Does this recent case set a worrying precedent? May 10, 2016 A judge sitting at the County Court in Birmingham has awarded a passenger and her family compensation under Regulation 261/2004 for a nine hour flight delay which arose following the actions of a passenger who accidently broke the emergency door handle on the flight before her's. A part had to be flown in to repair the plane and [...]