Female entrepreneurs are being held back by old-fashioned ideas of who can start a company June 10, 2021 London is wasting half of its talent, but it’s not just London. It’s UK wide. We’re an incredibly entrepreneurial nation. Even during a global pandemic, the capital has emerged from lockdown with 6 per cent more new businesses than from the same period last year, according to the Centre for Entrepreneurs. And yet, half of our [...]
Taxing tech giants won’t solve the problem of powerful monopolies June 10, 2021 The pandemic has delivered a valuable lesson for problem-solving: perspective is everything. When tackling major global challenges, knowing and understanding the big picture allows us to make the crucial informed decisions that ultimately yield positive results. Sometimes, however, it can be hard to see the wood for the trees. Look no further than the most [...]
Clearpay: the current credit system is broken and out of touch with consumer demands June 10, 2021 Gen Z and Millennials have developed an undeserved reputation for being bad with their money. In fact, younger generations are more savvy than ever with their finances. New types of payment methods, such as buy now pay later (BNPL) products, and bank accounts which enable flexible budgeting options are leading the market for a reason. Over half [...]
DEBATE: Will a global minimum corporate tax lead to real change for multinational giants? June 9, 2021 Chancellor Rishi Sunak has agreed to back a deal with G7 nations to create a global minimum corporate tax rate of at least 15 per cent. The agreement has been hailed a world-first to crack down on multinationals shifting profits to low-tax countries in order to skirt tax rules. The proposal, however, has also been [...]
Student loans perpetuate a broken financial system, it’s time for them to go June 9, 2021 Whitehall is preparing for a major tussle over student loans, with the Treasury increasingly concerned about the growing burden and its impact on the nation’s finances. The principle of a student loan seems simple: take one out to cover the cost of your time at university and pay it back when you start to earn [...]
Facebook exec: Businesses must scrap meaningless mental health policies and have an open door policy with staff June 9, 2021 The UK is teetering on the brink of reopening. The mental health crisis created by the pandemic, however, is only beginning to unfold and is one of the most pressing challenges for businesses to address. After constant anxiety around job security, isolation pressures and the blurring of work and home boundaries this year, mental illnesses [...]
Brexit analysis: If pig-headedness continues to prevail the EU and the UK risk an all-out trade war June 9, 2021 Northern Ireland has been threatened with further chaos ahead of the first scheduled meeting of the UK/EU Partnership Council, the committee tasked with thrashing out the practical arrangements of the Brexit trade deal. Political posturing from both sides risks igniting a trade war that would benefit nobody and permanently damage the post-Brexit relationship. The EU [...]
Britain’s defence procurement strategy wastes billions of pounds and puts lives at risk June 8, 2021 Ministry of Defence procurement projects running over budget or behind schedule rarely makes its way onto the front pages. It happens so often, you have to wonder if expensive delays are written into the small print by MoD’s commercial arm, Defence Equipment and Support. The procurement of the Ajax infantry fighting vehicle is just the [...]
Debate: Are Zoom-free Fridays a good idea? June 8, 2021 Numerous firms are putting in places rules banning video calls on Friday afternoons, allowing staff time to crack on with off-video tasks and to break the monotony of call-after-call as we work from home. But are they a good idea? Abby Payne, Chief People Officer at Sailpoint, says YES. “Zoom fatigue is real. With so much [...]
London’s future prosperity depends on a sustainable future for TfL June 7, 2021 News of the latest financial support package for Transport for London (TfL) will have been met by sighs of relief across London. At the very least, buses, trains and tubes will continue running for the next few months. But fundamental questions about TfL’s future and how public transport is funded remain unanswered. Should a transport [...]