Beyond Pret sandwich sales, how do we measure the recovery of London? May 23, 2021 After more than a year of lockdown restrictions, words like “recovery” are thick in the air. Indeed, the Bank of England is forecasting annual growth of 7.25 per cent, the fastest rate since 1941; positive news, but it is not the most digestible statistic for much of Britain’s population. The most important benchmarks are ones [...]
Virtual internships could break down social mobility barriers in the City May 22, 2021 Earlier this month, Boris Johnson announced working from home guidance would come to an end on June 21. This is a reassuring sign that life is coming back, slow and surely, into the City – an encouraging sign for graduates looking to secure a role with a leading firm this year. Many young people will [...]
The Sunday Times Rich List will steal the show, but it should be those at the top of philanthropy who earn our admiration May 22, 2021 The Sunday Times Rich list was published yesterday with much fanfare. As well as the customary intrigue about who made it and who didn’t, who is up and who is down, another ranking, the Giving List, will also be published. It lists philanthropists according to the percentage of wealth they have given away. Whereas once [...]
Rishi Sunak must stop dragging his heels and seize a once-in-a-lifetime chance to fix global corporate tax May 21, 2021 Anger at the never ending stories of global corporations dodging tax is set to hit boiling point. Barely a day goes by without a fresh tale of a big multinational paying ultra-low rates of tax. Even after a year of record sales during the pandemic, Amazon Europe did not pay any corporation tax on the [...]
Great British Railways: an eerie reminder of state ownership detested by free marketeers and socialists alike May 21, 2021 The current amount of taxpayers’ money being paid to operate and maintain the railways is unsustainable, the authors of the Williams-Shapps Plan for Rail report wrote in the opening pages. The railways lack a guiding focus on customers, are too fragmented, too complicated, and too expensive to run. Instead, the authors herald a new age, [...]
Screenshot: Have the streaming wars just gone nuclear? May 21, 2021 This week **Media Moment of the Week: That’ll do, you donkeys **Have the streaming wars just gone nuclear? **Can London close the tech gap on Silicon Valley? Media Moment of the Week: That’ll do, you donkeys Shrek turned 20 this week. Ah lovely, an innocent reminder of youth, I bet you’re thinking. Wrong. It’s actually [...]
The Treasury’s narrow-minded Net Zero review is holding back Boris Johnson’s climate agenda May 21, 2021 Some truisms are worth repeating: the Treasury is powerful. Unlike its counterparts overseas, the Treasury in Britain is ale to set policy for economic development and control government spending. This power, however, is also an impediment on progress. It is one of the slowest Whitehall departments to change its ways and is holding back the [...]
Boris Johnson must throw his support behind London to ensure an economic recovery May 20, 2021 Many people are overjoyed to return to central London and the streets are slowly coming back to life as colleagues, friends and families meet in outdoor cafes, restaurants and bars. Talk to any cabbie or shopkeeper and they’ll tell you that business and footfall is a long way from pre-pandemic levels. Hopes are pinned on [...]
Furlough and unemployment will keep inflation figures down and give Rishi Sunak breathing room May 20, 2021 Fresh statistics have shown inflation in the UK has more than doubled in the last month. This has dominated the headlines as many economists fear spiralling inflation. However, the reaction is The news from the ONS that UK inflation has more than doubled in April has generated concerned headlines. Such a reaction is somewhat inevitable. [...]
Australia-UK trade tensions are a post-Brexit crossroads: do we want to be Global Britain or do we want to pursue protectionism? May 20, 2021 When it comes to sport, particularly cricket and rugby, there is perhaps no fiercer rivalry than between the UK and Australia. Yet away from the Test arena, there are perhaps very few countries that share such a strong relationship. Both nations share a language, the monarchy, similar cultural connections and diplomatic and security ties. The strength of [...]