Calling time on Boris’ leadership could bear fruit for the Tories – if they grasp it January 26, 2022 How despondent are the Tories? One MP was beyond glum the other day. Quizzed who they’d like as leader, they replied: “We could have Arthur the bloody Great and it wouldn’t make any difference.” Labour has been cock-a-hoop as opinion polls have consistently given the party double-digit leads. But things can change. Just ask Sir [...]
The labyrinth of the Online Safety Bill could fall over on complexity before its begun January 26, 2022 The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee came out this week to criticise the government’s Draft Online Safety Bill, stating it is “neither clear nor robust enough to tackle certain types of illegal and harmful content”. Chair Julian Knight MP even labelled it a “missed opportunity”. As it currently stands, the bill’s duty [...]
A four day week is no panacea to the structural challenges of Britain’s workforce January 25, 2022 For years, there has been an ongoing discussion about the four-day working week. In the 2019 election, then-Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn even put cutting the number of days we work at the centre of his manifesto. This week trials for a four day week will begin with 30 companies trying it out in the hope [...]
As the City readies itself for the future, firms rethink their office downsize January 25, 2022 Moments after Boris Johnson announced the end of Plan B Covid-19 restrictions the order went out to civil servants to lead by example – and head back to the office. The edict will have reflected a desire to get people back into the capital and breathe new life into the economy, not least the hospitality [...]
Rachel Reeves must ground Labour’s policy in compelling plans for economic growth January 25, 2022 It is easy to get frustrated following politics. I’m not talking about the in-fighting, the hypocrisy, or the subsequent tendency for allegations of hypocrisy to overshadow any substantive policy issues. My gripe is with the shallowness of the policy debate. Too often, politicians confuse ends with means. The result is a complacent debate and vacuous [...]
Opinion-in-brief: Netflix says next episode please as shares plummet January 24, 2022 As Boris Johnson lifted Plan B restrictions last week, many rejoiced – but not Netflix. The streaming giant has reaped the rewards of people staying at home. But last week, Netflix’s shares plummeted 20 per cent as new subscriber numbers fell short of expectations. Another 18.2 million people signed up for the platform – roughly [...]
London has bounced back before and it will do again as Covid-19 rules are dropped January 24, 2022 After a tough economic winter, the lifting of the Government’s Plan B restrictions is a much-needed boost for many Square Mile businesses that rely on footfall traffic from neighbouring offices. These businesses have faced exceptionally difficult trading conditions during the pandemic, with the reintroduction of guidance to work from home last month yet another disappointment. [...]
Remote work will free reluctant city dwellers and reinvigorate London January 24, 2022 London has been the cradle of dreams and ambition for a long time. It is more than 600 years now since Dick Whittington left Gloucestershire to seek his fortune in the capital, rising to become lord mayor for the first time in 1397. Faint echoes of his journey remain with us all today: how many [...]
The unstoppable rise of the challenger bank: Canary Wharf’s retail giants have reasons to be worried January 22, 2022 If traditional retail banks have paid any attention to the latest data from the City watchdog, they have reasons to be worried, because challenger banks are increasingly taking over traditional banking services from established financial institutions. In fact, nearly 10 per cent of all accounts are now held with a so-called digital “challenger” bank. A [...]
Exempt housing can plug the hole, but we must bring it up to scratch January 21, 2022 If finding affordable housing is difficult for numerous young professionals and key workers in the country – and especially in the capital – imagine how hard it is for prison leavers struggling to find a job, or for refugees who have just landed on new shores. Then there are the victims of domestic abuse desperately [...]