The UK economy is slowing – and it’s not all down to Brexit May 5, 2016 The April purchasing managers' indexes (PMIs) painted the bleakest picture of the UK economy so far this year. The surveys signal a near-stalling of economic growth, down to just 0.1 per cent. How worried should we be? News that the surveys saw an increased number of companies complaining about ‘Brexit’ uncertainty caught the headlines, suggesting that we [...]
Why the government should sell off Channel 4 into the nasty and horrible world of private sector competition May 5, 2016 Channel 4 tells us, for some reason, that they don't want to be sold off into that nasty and horrible world of private sector competition. They've commissioned a report which tells us all that it wouldn't be a good idea and perhaps, for those currently running it, it wouldn't be. The rather more important question [...]
Betting on a one-horse race for City Hall May 5, 2016 By the time the sun rises tomorrow morning London will have a new mayor, and all signs point to Labour’s Sadiq Khan being the man to take over from Boris Johnson. Such has been Khan’s polling dominance over Conservative rival Zac Goldsmith, the Tooting MP could have safely ordered curtains, carpets and desks for his [...]
What Next for the UK’s struggling high street? May 5, 2016 Retailers are having a tough old time of it. After last week’s casualties (BHS and Austin Reed) it seems likely that others could follow, and yesterday’s update from one of the high street’s more reliable traders underscored just how jittery the market has become. As a rule, Next tends to downplay its confidence about any [...]
Zac Goldsmith: I will work hand in hand with the government to make our great city greater still May 5, 2016 Eight years ago my friend Boris Johnson walked into City Hall. It was not a good time to win an election. The British economy was careering into the worst recession in living memory. People said London was finished as a global financial centre. But London proved them wrong. Eight years on and business is booming: [...]
Sadiq Khan: I will unite London and be the most pro-business mayor yet May 5, 2016 Millions of Londoners will have the opportunity today to vote for a new mayor. And when it comes to business and the financial sector, this election matters. London is an established global leader in business services and international finance. We are also a growing force in newer industries such as tech, low carbon and life [...]
Prepare for disintegration: How new technology and the euro-crisis legacy could break the EU apart May 5, 2016 Somewhat lost in the current debate over the UK and the EU is the fate of the European Union itself. Are we arguing over the membership of a club which might not exist 10 or 20 years from now? The pre-eminent American historian of the EU, John Gillingham, has written: “The EU is unfit for [...]
Star Wars Day shows us the droids we’re looking for May 4, 2016 Over the years I think I’ve made it pretty clear that I firmly believe science fiction is one of the most powerful influences on how people think about the future potential of technology. We’ve seen wonderful examples where the creative license of a few enlightened people have led to the creation of incredible technologies that [...]
Work in tech, bored of London? Forget Silicon Valley, try Australia May 4, 2016 Tech entrepreneur Oli Madgett and his wife Tara recently decided to swap London for South Australia. The weather, beaches, and wine played their part but the city’s growing reputation as a tech hub was crucial. As London’s ‘Here East’ starts to establish itself here’s how our Aussie cousins are doing it. Go big or go [...]
London mayoral election 2016: London’s next mayor must put broadband connectivity at the top of the agenda May 4, 2016 This Thursday, Londoners have a pretty important decision to make. One that will shape the way the city operates for years to come. The pressure is definitely on for London’s next mayor to improve the state of the current broadband infrastructure across the capital once elected. If the city is to continue being one of [...]