NIESR top economist: Bank of England has tools to fight inflation May 30, 2022 The UK economy is in a bit of a bind. Households are being squeezed by historic rises in their living costs, while businesses’ margins are thinning due to expenses soaring. A much higher than expected inflation crunch – primarily the result of Russia’s unforeseen invasion of Ukraine – is forecast to trigger a spending pull [...]
Letters: An ode to youth May 30, 2022 [Re: Vanguard doubles down on fossil fuel investment, May 26] Following news that Vanguard will continue to invest in fossil fuels despite its commitment to hit net zero, the benefits of net zero investment on growth and opportunities for young people need to be emphasised. Whilst the government has pledged that green investment will help [...]
Explainer-in-brief: Guess who’s behind the dead cat strategic masterpiece? May 27, 2022 Yesterday Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced the introduction of a windfall tax – or as he called it, a “temporary targeted energy profits levy” – signalling a huge u-turn from his party’s previous stance on the policy. The announcement came the day after the Sue Gray report on Downing Street boozy parties, leading some to condemn [...]
It’s time to recognise our businesses would benefit from devil’s advocates May 27, 2022 As corporate speeches go, it was eventful. Last week, Stuart Kirk, head of responsible investing at HSBC’s asset management division, delivered a provocative speech entitled “why investors need not worry about climate risk.” One week and a media storm later, Mr Kirk is no longer a head of responsible investing. Instead, he has been suspended, [...]
Seeing is believing: young girls need more female role models in business to look up to May 27, 2022 Ensuring that anyone with potential can get on in life makes good business sense. It means that women should have the same opportunities as men to start their own businesses and be represented at every level. Despite female-founded SMEs contributing around £85bn of the UK’s economic output each year, there is still much more to [...]
To understand what London needs, we should look at the history of spatial poverty May 27, 2022 In the “Republic”, Plato wrote that “any city, however small, is in fact divided into two, one the city of the poor, the other of the rich”. This still rings painfully true today, especially if the city in question is London. The capital is a uniquely unequal place: it hosts some incredibly wealthy people, as [...]
Letters: Comfort through stories May 27, 2022 Dear Editor, thousands of children have arrived in our communities over the last few months, separated from their loved ones and belongings. They may not be able to attend school straight away, so they need support with their education. Language barriers may also leave them feeling isolated. The Bookmark Reading Appeal is seeking to raise [...]
Opinion-in-brief: The closing act of Partygate is embarrassing for everyone May 26, 2022 The report by Sue Gray on the parties held in Downing Street was finally released yesterday – and hell, it was damning. It concluded that the “senior leadership at the centre, both political and official, must bear responsibility”. What was Boris Johnson’s defence? He “humbly” apologised and took responsibility, but urged everyone to “move on”. [...]
Street votes will be a bottom-up policy that satisfies without ruffling feathers May 26, 2022 Britain needs more homes; practically everyone agrees, including Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove and his predecessors. Knowing what you need and knowing how to get there are quite different things, however, and radical pro-housing policies have repeatedly been broken on the back of public or political opposition. It’s in this context that the government has [...]
It’s time businesses step up and support local authorities in protecting biodiversity May 26, 2022 This week some of the biggest names in business are meeting at Davos. Sustainability, biodiversity and the positive impact that business can bring are high on the agenda. Over 50 per cent of the world’s total GDP is either highly or moderately depending on nature, according to the World Economic Forum (WEF). Yet only 50 [...]