Upskilling isn’t just about digital: it’s about data March 13, 2021 One aspect of Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s Budget that received little attention was his plan to launch a new management programme to upskill the 30,000 plus UK based small and medium-sized enterprises over the next three years. This Budget came only a week after the Institute of Directors and Chartered Management Institute called on the Government [...]
The Entrepreneur’s overlooked cousin: companies must foster ‘Intrapreneurs’ for post-Covid creativity March 12, 2021 Entrepreneurs are the supposed heroes of our era. They are simultaneously titans of industry, Renaissance artists, and Hollywood Stars, building products, empires, and literal rocket ships that will be spoken about for decades to come. In the modern economy, those who create something out of nothing command ultimate respect. But the entrepreneur has a less [...]
Parallel markets: The City must push back against Europe’s protectionist financial walls March 12, 2021 Governments, however enlightened and visionary, can so often make two fundamental errors of judgement about global financial service markets: they grossly underestimate their multi trillion dollar power and manoeuvrability. They forget their close attention to competition, cost and risk, and the pursuit of liquidity. In continuing to raise protectionist walls around its internal financial markets, the [...]
We need a new law to root out corporate supply chain abuses — wherever they take place March 12, 2021 The now all too familiar, shocking allegations of forced labour at Boohoo factories in Leicester are once again grabbing headlines. Last week Boohoo was hit with a double whammy as US lawmakers are mulling a potential import ban against the company, and UK MPs are asking for a long-term bonus scheme to be linked to supply chain [...]
Screenshot: Does the UK media have a racism problem? March 12, 2021 This week: **Media Moment of the Week: GMB gets a new frontman **Does the UK media have a racism problem? **Deliveroo’s IPO giveaway; BT gets in a bind Media Moment of the Week: GMB gets a new frontman What a week it’s been for ITV. In the space of 24 hours it racked up bumper [...]
Could the humble perpetual bond help dig Britain out of its debt crisis and level up? March 12, 2021 The COVID-19 pandemic has precipitated the worst crisis we have faced as a nation since the Second World War, decimating the global economy and plunging us into a deep recession. Such desperate times call for radical, revolutionary solutions to help us bounce back from economic turmoil. Many would be surprised to discover a simple instrument, [...]
DEBATE: Should exams be scrapped completely? March 11, 2021 Robert Halfon, MP for Harlow and Chair of the House of Commons Education Committee says NO In normal times, I visit schools from Harlow to Hull. Most students I meet want examinations. It is not hard to understand why. As Ofsted said to our Education Committee, exams provide structure and a sense of achievement. Ofsted [...]
Care workers pay boost isn’t just about saying thank you, it’s about levelling up March 11, 2021 This week, as the nation takes its first tentative steps out of lockdown, older people living in care homes are connecting with loved ones in ways that haven’t been possible for the past year. Care services have always been an essential part of our lives and our communities, yet for many people they existed in [...]
It’s time to reform Statutory Sick Pay to create a healthy and productive workforce March 11, 2021 The Chancellor’s difficult second Budget, when it came, was hardly much of a surprise. While measures like the new “super deduction” came as welcome news for business, there was less on offer for those worried about how they would cope financially if they were suddenly unable to work. In the midst of the health emergency, the [...]
A defence of buy now, pay later: a new retail landscape needs new payment systems March 11, 2021 After a tumultuous year for retail, there finally looks to be light at the end of the tunnel as the vaccine roll out paves the way for stores to return to trading this spring. As the UK economy begins to reopen, retail will play a critical role in driving its recovery however, it won’t quite [...]