Social mobility in the Square Mile has to be at the top of every boardroom’s agenda November 15, 2021 When I first came to the City of London from Dublin over three decades ago – with no professional network or established contacts on this side of the Irish Sea – it would have been far-fetched to imagine that I would eventually become its Lord Mayor. Tonight I will be welcoming the Prime Minister to [...]
Take back control? Not until we reign in bullying councils and reinstate local parishes November 15, 2021 You probably haven’t heard of Queen’s Park in Westminster but it has a unique claim to fame: it is the only neighbourhood in London that governs its own affairs. In 2014, after three years of bitter political battles, local people wrestled a modicum of control from the borough, Westminster City Council by establishing Queen’s Park [...]
Best of this week in our opinion pages: From Mark Carney’s climate bet and Tory sleaze scandals to protecting abuse victims in virtual courts November 13, 2021 On Friday, City A.M. columnist Josh Williams’ turned to Mark Carney’s efforts to build a consortium of investors keen to save the planet from climate change. But his claim to have $130tn at the ready was over-exaggerated and distracted from his mission. Instead, the former Governor of the Bank of England should take a leaf [...]
Investors need to rediscover the age-old virtue of patience to recharge our economy November 13, 2021 If you do a smart job spending taxpayers’ money you can make businesses more productive and drive wages up. Economists can debate the merit of that idea but be in no doubt, ministers believe every word. They spelled it out in a series of autumn announcements. Even those ministers though don’t think the state can [...]
Take a break from the social media wormhole – if they let you November 12, 2021 Adam Mosseri really cares about you. He’s “personally very excited” for a new Instagram “tool” which encourages you to “take a break”. Mosseri, the head of the platform, wants you to be in the driver’s seat while you scroll through endless images designed to keep you hooked. The point of the new feature is to [...]
Mark Carney, Exxon Mobil and the parable of purpose and turning a profit November 12, 2021 Gfanz, the inelegant rendering of the even less memorable Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero, is Mark Carney’s climate change vehicle. Last week, the former Bank of England Governor declared that it had mobilised $130tn in pursuit of net zero. The figure is incredible. For context, it is more than six-times America’s GDP, and greater [...]
Britain’s social insurance is built on harmonious state, private and charity ties November 12, 2021 Every year, when the clock strikes 11 o’clock on November 11, we come together to remember. It is a reminder of friends and times past. But it is also a reminder that communities standing together can make a difference to the lives of many. The Royal British Legion was set up in the aftermath of [...]
Opinion-in-brief: a big day for Google’s lawyers November 11, 2021 Yesterday, Google both won, and lost. The tech giant avoided a £3.2bn claim over alleged unlawful tracking and selling of users’ data. In another breath, the EU courts rejected an appeal to overturn a €2.8bn fine. In cash terms, let’s call it even. An important door was left open in the UK case. The Court [...]
Whole Foods was Amazon’s grocery debut, now it’s time for a main course November 11, 2021 Amazon took its first major step into grocery when it bought Whole Foods Market in 2017 for $13.7bn. The purchase sent shockwaves through the retail world at the time. It marked Amazon’s first step into brick-and-mortar retail and analysts interpreted the move as an effort to muscle in on the supermarket sector. But Amazon’s Whole [...]
Heathrow’s constant queues are more than a nuisance – they’re undermining London November 11, 2021 First impressions count. The truism applies to countries as well as people. When entering a new country our first impression of it will be its border control. I remember fondly arriving in Paphos, Cyprus before and after they joined the European Union and the development was remarkable. It told a story of a country on [...]