Levelling up will fail if Boris Johnson pushes for a nationwide approach July 7, 2021 The phrase “levelling up” has permeated the political lexicon over the past year or so, but few seem to know exactly what it means or how to do it. Andy Haldane, outgoing Chief Economist at the Bank of England, put some flesh on the bones at a timely Policy Exchange seminar last week. For Haldane, [...]
Freedom Day cannot be tainted by ifs and buts – the entertainment sector won’t survive further restrictions July 6, 2021 It is absolutely right we are finally reopening fully on July 19. Boris Johnson’s announcement last night that pubs, nightclubs, and events would be freed of Covid restrictions should be a moment to rejoice. There are many in the industry, however, who are wary of the threat of further closures. Hospitality has suffered enormously with [...]
Drink up: Scotch whisky should be the crowning glory of a UK-India trade deal July 6, 2021 Even before a formal trade deal, the relationship between the UK and India was worth £25.5bn in 2019. What is known as an enhanced trade partnership – the precursor to a fully-fledged FTA – is expected to generate new jobs and unlock fresh opportunities for both countries. At the helm of closer ties between the [...]
Venture capital is changing and a public listing will help unlock the transformation July 6, 2021 In 2013, I started Forward Partners with a single mission: to give more start-up founders their best shot at success. Since then, we have built a portfolio we are immensely proud of, and packed with ambitious, growing businesses operating in the hottest technology sectors. We have proven our approach to investment works, growing net asset [...]
UK Snapchat boss: Social mobility in tech is not just about diverse hiring, we have to change the culture in workplaces July 5, 2021 My first job out of university was at one of the big investment banks in London. My family and friends were incredibly proud – we were from working class backgrounds in Birmingham and a role like that was the stuff of dreams. But after just three weeks, I knew it was not for me and [...]
London should be the go-to city for green finance as Britain takes on COP26 July 5, 2021 It’s just over four months to go until the UN Climate Change Conference – better known as COP26 – takes place in Glasgow, and few will deny we are at a pivotal moment for our planet, and for the future of finance. With this in mind, we recently held the second of our hybrid Green [...]
Nissan’s £1bn gambit in Sunderland is worth every penny of subsidies for Boris Johnson July 5, 2021 The campaign for the Brexit referendum seems a long time ago. By the calendar, it was only five years ago, and yet we remember it like another world: David Cameron was prime minister, Barack Obama was in the White House, François Hollande was sneaking out of the Elysée palace on the pillion of a scooter [...]
Smart cities can pioneer a new future for Britain with fully-integrated tech July 4, 2021 When a group of the country’s leading telecoms experts met with the DCMS Select Committee in July 2020, they advised that improved digital infrastructure and a move towards “smart cities” will be essential for a sustainable, post-pandemic recovery. When a group of the country’s leading telecoms experts met with the DCMS Select Committee in July [...]
Saturday essay: It’s easy to hate social media, to truly make it work we need to learn to love it July 3, 2021 It’s fashionable to be irrationally critical of social media. Almost every policy relating to social media serves to restrain, rather than nurture it. The image of online platforms, amongst politicos and policymakers, is often that it is nothing more than an inflammatory cesspit of trolls and creeps who debase every conversation with racist and sexist [...]
Screenshot: Who will win the summer TV ratings war? July 2, 2021 This week **Media Moment of the Week: Rob Beckett’s Wembley wisdom **Who will win the summer TV ratings war? **Kantar’s boardroom carousel Media Moment of the Week: Rob Beckett’s Wembley wisdom We all had a great time on Tuesday, didn’t we, but arguably no one had a better time than Rob Beckett. Fortunately, the comedian [...]