Britain’s productivity has been battered by the scarcity of affordable homes in cities February 15, 2022 Londoners are feeling the squeeze. The Bank of England has forecast the biggest annual fall in living standards for at least three decades: energy costs are surging, and rents are going up by 5.5 per cent. The high cost of housing leads to a worse quality of life in familiar ways, through lower disposable incomes, [...]
Explainer-in-brief: Love you, love you not: the new China-UK relationship February 14, 2022 In a bid to snuggle up to China’s economy, Boris Johnson has tasked the department for international trade to hold the first high-ministerial talks with Beijing since 2018. Rishi Sunak has moved to restart the UK-China Economic and Financial Dialogue, also cancelled in 2019. The timing of these decisions is a bit baffling, given that [...]
Jo Whitfield’s leave from Co-op is an exercise in privilege as well as change February 14, 2022 Last week, Jo Whitfield, the head of the Co-operative Society’s food arm, announced she would be taking four months of unpaid leave later in the year to help her sons through their A-level and GCSE examinations. On the one hand, the Co-op was lauded for its progressive and flexible approach to employment, and for allowing [...]
When in Rome (or Paris), while in your bedroom: the metaverse of the high street February 14, 2022 When Topshop announced they were pulling out of their flagship Oxford street shop last year, the fatalistic chatter about the end of the high street gathered colossal momentum. The store was eventually snapped up by Ikea, for £378m, but another hole was left in its wake, with House of Fraser closing down too. Despite this, [...]
International travel will never be fully replaced by Zoom meetings for business February 14, 2022 As the worst of the Omicron wave subsides, travel is starting up once more, with countries dropping many of the most stringest restrictions. Many of us associate this with holidays and family reuniones, but it is also an important vector for business. This is especially true for an open economy like the UK’s which, renowned [...]
Best of this week in our opinion pages: from community-based solutions for fighting terrorism to the Bank of England’s dilemmas February 12, 2022 As talks of a definitive lifting of Covid-19 restrictions intensify, workers are coming back to their offices in flocks, bringing liveliness back into the Square Mile. Richard Kauntze wrote about an often overlooked aspect of the City’s inner workings: the unofficial economy of gossip. The City has long thrived on whispered tittle-tattle, which plays a [...]
Explainer-in-brief: China stokes the flames over Taiwan February 11, 2022 This week, China has suspended imports of beef from Lithuania. While Beijing hasn’t justified its decision, it is crystal clear that the move comes after tensions over Taiwan. Lithuania diplomatically recognizes Taiwan, while China claims the island is part of its territory. Taiwan’s foreign minister called China’s actions “bullying”. Trade is a tried-and-tested weapon for [...]
Bookies look Stateside for betting wins February 11, 2022 Sunday night’s Super Bowl will see the Bengals battle the Rams - but the real action might be off the field, writes Leah Montebello
Mental health in the Square Mile has transformed; it must do in the NHS too February 11, 2022 I began my career in the cut throat City in 1982. It was an era when the environment was uber macho, almost completely male dominated with an incredibly aggressive culture. It was accepted that this was how you needed to be if you wanted to get on. The atmosphere of no holds barred determination to [...]
Dear Jacob Rees-Mogg, it’s time to make good on Brexit promises with new City rules February 11, 2022 Business leaders once again find themselves pondering the shape and size of Britain’s economy post-Brexit. Brexit was always designed to be a two-part plan. Part one was leaving. But, as noted in the report by the Public Accounts Committee, for some sectors it’s been a triple whammy of red-tape, double regulation and rising compliance costs. [...]