The greatest gift Ever Given: Why we all loved the Big Boat stuck in the Suez April 1, 2021 In a world of extraordinary complexity, at a time of enormous uncertainty, a big boat stuck in the Suez Canal took us back to a simpler time. “The greater our knowledge increases,” said John F Kennedy in the speech that launched the US space programme, “the greater our ignorance unfolds.” So it proved to be. [...]
CBI: There can be no true economic recovery until travel reopens April 1, 2021 Reigniting the UK economy will be a complex task. While vaccine rollout has increased optimism for a rapid recovery, plenty of hurdles remain. Business confidence must be renewed, consumer freedoms restored, and connections rebuilt between companies, cities and nations if we are to regain lost ground. Indeed, it is this idea of repairing connections which [...]
We must help grassroots sport clubs at risk of collapsing April 1, 2021 While kids across the country could barely contain their excitement this week with the resumption of grassroots sport, the sad reality is that many local community clubs which bring opportunity, escape and structure to the lives of young people are on the brink of financial collapse. Over the last year, young people have felt the [...]
Deliveroo IPO: Is the gig economy empire crumbling? March 31, 2021 This morning, a courier came to drop off a package. He was almost back inside his van before I could open the door. Last week, another showed me a 10 second timer on his performance device – the time he said he was allocated to ‘drop off’. Neither of these were probably classified as ‘workers’, [...]
Hong Kong’s democratic dreams have been trashed by Chinese power grab – the UK must use Magnitsky sanctions March 31, 2021 The Chinese government’s actions in Hong Kong are a textbook case study of an authoritarian power-grab. Redefine national security. Exercise emergency powers in the name of national security and use these powers to take total control. Lock up the opposition. Rig the elections. Rewrite the constitution. The details of Beijing’s electoral reforms for Hong Kong [...]
Government scientists must be transparent about flawed Covid models March 31, 2021 The strength of the economic recovery as Britain emerges from lockdown is a hotly contested subject among economists. Some believe there will be a massive surge in demand as consumers celebrate their freedom, others argue it will take time to claw back confidence. Economic forecasts are subject to the same faults as any projections, as [...]
Controversial tax changes will pile burden onto businesses and leave contractors worse off March 31, 2021 Next Tuesday, long-delayed changes to a controversial tax rule will come into force and pile on an additional burden on companies already reeling from the effects of the pandemic. The rule, known as IR35, was originally designed to limit tax avoidance but it has caused dismay for employers and contractors alike. Before now, it has [...]
Race Commissioner: Ethnic pay reporting won’t help minorities March 31, 2021 Did you know that almost all big minority groups outperform White British people in school? That there is a higher proportion of ethnic minority people in the top social class than White British people? And that Black Caribbean women earn on average more than White British women (and Black African women about the same)? Last [...]
To solve the plastic conundrum, we have to make it a problem for finance March 30, 2021 Plastic is the much-maligned detritus of modern living. It is the broken toy, the used carrier bag and the surgical face mask polluting our streets, streams and oceans, which countless recycling schemes and beach cleans have failed to tackle. With the right backing, plastic can become a force for good as a valuable re-usable commodity. [...]
DEBATE: Should international travel be reopened this summer? March 30, 2021 Gabriel Scally, President of Epidemiology & Public Health at the Royal Society of Medicine and member of Independent Sage, says No The NHS delivered vaccination programme has been a game-changer for COVID-19. We might completely suppress the virus across the UK. If that happens, we can get back to a much more normal life and [...]