Labour should become the party of AI and tech under Keir Starmer February 16, 2021 Sir Keir Starmer has had a rough start to 2020. The Labour leader has taken a battering in the past few weeks for a perception that Starmerism has no impetus or direction, leaving some pundits to question whether he has cut through beyond the SW1 bubble. While much of this criticism should be dismissed when [...]
The Government risks undermining the vaccine strategy with endless speculation and a charge towards Covid-Zero February 16, 2021 Boris Johnson is an optimist – a feature that has not always served him well throughout this pandemic. The litany of slipping timelines in 2020, from school openings to the First World War ‘over by Christmas’ tribute act, hasn’t given the public great confidence in Government announcements. But, with a vaccine being rolled out at [...]
Day-trading Davids could take on more worthwhile Goliaths than the hedgies February 16, 2021 Nicolas Mackel is CEO of Luxembourg for Finance Some may not agree with the actions of the mostly millennial retail day traders, who together gave hedge funds a bloody nose by coordinating via social media to skyrocket GameStop’s share price, but everyone agrees it is an extraordinary story. People are already talking about the movie [...]
Adapt and thrive: There’s a £200bn prize for British firms willing to embrace new ideas February 16, 2021 After the toughest of years, many businesses are still reeling from the impact of Covid-19. Shuttered high streets and closed forecourts are the visible scars from a bruising year. But alongside this, some businesses are swimming against the tide, with strong profits reported at firms like Next and Jaguar Land Rover. Covid-19 shone a spotlight [...]
Gamestop saga is a good argument for the possibilities of crypto February 16, 2021 As Gamestop stock fell back to earth after a precipitous rise, it marked an end to the biggest short squeeze in 25 years, which for a time transferred substantial wealth from Wall Street to Main Street. But the saga has left a lasting legacy in the markets, exposing how current financial ecosystems are fundamentally skewed [...]
Monzo: Banks should play their part in tackling problem gambling February 16, 2021 Online gambling has long been on the rise in the UK – and with casinos and betting shops shut due to lockdown, consumers have turned more to their phones and laptops in order to gamble. Last year, the Gambling Commission shone a light on the fact that regular gamblers had upped their betting during lockdown, [...]
Investors should ready themselves for a great wave of innovation February 15, 2021 When I first invested in Facebook more than a decade ago, the business’s extraordinary potential was clear to me even though the full impact of social media had only begun to be realised. I was fortunate to be among the first to invest in some of the world’s most prominent start-ups, including Uber, Spotify, Airbnb, [...]
The art of the apology: What KPMG’s Bill Michael got wrong February 15, 2021 Last week saw the defenestration of KPMG UK’s chairman, Bill Michael. Days after making some controversial remarks at a ‘town hall’ meeting of employees, the abrasive Australian, having initially stepped aside pending investigation, caught the scent of the prevailing wind and resigned. In some City circles, there has almost been a sense of relief, having [...]
Debate: Should AI become a regulated technology? February 15, 2021 It’s set to transform most aspects of our lives, but AI is still barely understood – and barely regulated. Is it time? Prasad Ramakrishnan, CIO of Freshworks says YES AI has always been important, but we’re moving from theory and setup to practice as we deliver practical and actionable recommendations – and that’s really exciting. [...]
City’s gargantuan tax receipts should never be taken for granted in Whitehall February 15, 2021 By any standards, 2020 was an unprecedented year for businesses and households alike. The uncertainty around our future relationship with the EU and the long shadow cast by the COVID-19 pandemic posed challenges not seen since the second world war. Even with the vaccine rollout well underway, the road to recovery remains uncertain with significant [...]