A new dawn of cryptocurrency is forcing us to re-evaluate our faith in our institutions of state October 29, 2021 Talking about a revolution, as Tracy Chapman reminded us, isn’t new. For many years, many have. But we only ever know we’ve lived through when we look back. Today, the writing is on the walls for a moment of fundamental change. Over the last week we’ve seen Bitcoin and Ethereum hit historic highs while take [...]
Small islands will be washed away unless they harness a greener off-shore finance October 29, 2021 Climate change is already being felt across the world with extreme weather events causing food insecurity, conflict and forced migration in places as diverse as the Middle East, Latin America and the Arctic. As world leaders gather in Glasgow for Cop26 next week, there are some for whom the outcome could literally be a question [...]
Letters: Beware Facebook’s delight October 28, 2021 [Re: Facebook delivers good Q3 but expects Q4 to be below estimates, October 26] One fascinating stat from this week’s Facebook earnings was the 22 per cent jump in the average price paid per ad on the platform. This will undoubtedly delight the social giant’s shareholders but should worry the thousands of brand advertisers reliant [...]
Sunak might be teetotal – but he needs to sober up from his super-spending October 28, 2021 The definition of addiction is the serious, chronic dependence on a substance or activity. After watching the Chancellor spend almost an hour trumpeting eye-watering increases in public spending, we now have every reason to believe that this government is hooked on splashing taxpayers’ money. The next immediate hit – securing a headline about another couple [...]
Before we give London’s transport to the rest of the UK, we should fix it here first October 28, 2021 The only standout mention of the capital in yesterday’s budget was a promise to bring “London-style transport settlements” to regions across the country. On the face of it, this is an entirely sensible aspiration. Many other cities would love to have London’s mix of cheap, frequent buses with flat fares, a fast reliable and wide-ranging [...]
Britain will launch Cop26 in Glasgow while taxpayers are still funding fossil fuels October 28, 2021 On Monday, the parliamentary committee for International Development demanded the government stop investing in the fossil fuel sector, including through its private-sector arm, the CDC Group. CDC is investing hundreds of millions of precious aid money in fossil fuel companies that compound the climate crisis. Propping up the fossil fuel industry will inevitably mean more [...]
The verdict: A budget packed to the rafters with promises and light on the means to pay for them October 28, 2021 Kitty Ussher, Institute of Directors The crucial test for this Budget was whether it gave business the confidence to invest. The Chancellor’s cuts for business rates and R&D tax credit are welcome. But, when paired with hefty hikes in other taxation on the horizon, that may not be enough to convince business leaders to press [...]
Editorial: Risky Rishi’s budget may not taste so sweet if events turn sour October 27, 2021 The poor Labour party. If the job of opposition is to oppose, how to oppose Rishi Sunak’s budget?The truth is that had Sunak’s speech been drafted for Gordon Brown, not many would have batted an eyelid. Spending was replaced with investment; tax cuts a promise, not a reality. There was much to like from a [...]
Was John Lewis’ home insurance ad dressed for success? October 27, 2021 John Lewis’ new home insurance ad – in which a small boy dances in a dress to Stevie Nicks’ Edge of Seventeen – has been described as “a glorious antidote to toxic ‘boys will be boys’ messaging” and “everything wrong with modern Britain”. Data from YouGov BrandIndex UK shows that the public were aware of [...]
How TikTok accounts lure teens into fraud October 27, 2021 When he accidentally became a money mule, “Tom” was only fourteen. A friend transferred him 250£ and asked to withdraw them in cash. Days later “Tom”’s bank closed his account, and he hasn’t been able to open a new one anywhere since. He is now sixteen and believes he has a Cifas marker – meaning [...]