DEBATE: Should the UK have off-shore processing for refugees? June 29, 2021 Priti Patel is planning on introducing controversial plans to process refugees abroad in an attempt to stop the surge of migrants making the dangerous crossing over the channel. This year, more than 5,600 migrants have made the journey. Ms Patel is reported to be considering destinations as far-flung as Rwanda for off-shore processing. Is it [...]
Naysayers of Britain’s future trade relationship in Asia-Pacific are determined to live in the past June 29, 2021 Hot on the heels of the UK-Australia free trade agreement, the UK has launched negotiations to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). Critics, quick to deride the move by pointing out it won’t make up the shortfall from Brexit, completely miss the point. The UK must look forward to the future, [...]
Boris Johnson’s Global Britain agenda is being undermined by funding cuts for the British Council June 28, 2021 Last week the British Council’s CEO, Kate Ewart-Biggs, announced that it had been informed by the government that its budget was to be reduced over the next two years in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. Its commercial income has fallen, and its grant-in-aid from the government is being cut. The overall reduction in funding [...]
London must become a world leader on climate change action June 28, 2021 It’s London Climate Action week and a chance to celebrate the work being done to tackle climate change in our capital city. It’s an opportunity to highlight and bring to the forefront the challenges we are facing and need to address to make a real difference. Climate change is a major global issue affecting everyone [...]
Directors, beware: Corporate governance overhauls could end with personal liability June 28, 2021 Corporate governance in the UK is about to undergo its biggest transformation in a generation. Next month, the Government consultation into the powers held by the new Audit Regulation and Governance Authority (ARGA), closes. Some of the proposals are seismic, driven by corporate scandals, and could mean directors of public companies, large AIM-listed and large [...]
Shop small and shop online: changed consumer habits are powering micro-businesses June 27, 2021 It comes as no surprise the nation’s GDP shrank by 1.5 per cent in the first quarter of this year. The third lockdown took its toll on businesses of all sizes. As the economy recovers, we need to steer the nation to smoother waters by supporting even the smallest of small businesses. Micro-businesses make up [...]
Bolster trade with Indo-pacific June 27, 2021 Amidst high inflation and a difficult economic outlook, it would be easy for our country to turn inwards in search of a panacea. But to echo the sentiments of John Donne – a famous poet born in the City of London – “no man is an island, entire of itself”. The same is also true [...]
Ex-KFC Director: Junk food ad bans won’t move the needle on obesity June 26, 2021 The Government is pushing forward with its commitment to ban “junk food” ads – one measure within its obesity strategy which will impose strict regulations on how brands can promote “unhealthy food items”. The move has been roundly criticised by the food industry, which is to be expected. One in three children are overweight or [...]
Venture capital has resisted the push towards diversity and remained an elitist club June 25, 2021 We can thank the television programme Dragons’ Den for popularising the process of entrepreneurs pitching for investment. Since its inception in 2005, 18 deep-pocketed dragons have appeared on the show, all vying to secure a piece of the next world-beating venture. Of those 18 dragons, seven – or 40 per cent – have been women. [...]
Screenshot: Is the Netflix documentary craze coming to an end? June 25, 2021 This week **Media Moment of the Week: Proper propaganda **Is the Netflix documentary craze coming to an end? **Adland bins plans for junk food ad ban Media Moment of the Week: Proper propaganda Nothing screams flourishing democracy like a video of flag-waving children singing a patriotic anthem, right? That seems to be Gavin Williamson’s policy, [...]