The worst thing about the Super League? It makes perfect sense April 19, 2021 For any football fan supporting anybody other than Arsenal or Manchester United during the 1990s, the last few years have offered some enjoyable schadenfreude. United lost their way after legendary manager Sir Alex Ferguson left the club. Arsenal turned into a soap opera, a club which appeared at times to be run by three lads [...]
Public-private partnership must be at the heart of tackling climate change ahead of COP26 April 19, 2021 Later this year, representatives of over 190 governments will gather at COP26 to voice their commitments to tackling the climate crisis, confirm a “landing zone” on net zero and negotiate the intricacies of the Paris Agreement rulebook. But it’s an illusion to think that government commitments are enough to kick-start climate recovery. Since the global [...]
Fintech innovation will be at the heart of London’s recovery April 19, 2021 Over the last week I’ve been out in the City actively showing my support for businesses reopening after lockdown, including getting a long overdue haircut. Local shops, barbers, pubs and restaurants are of course the backbone of places like the Square Mile. But as we look to kickstart a strong, sustainable recovery post-pandemic, what’s also [...]
Prince Philip’s global outlook has important lessons for forward-thinking businesses April 18, 2021 There has been a huge amount written and said about the life of Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh. There are also crucial lessons businesses can glean from his work. For a start, the Duke’s life of 99 years was exceptional in its length. Any business would like to be around for that long. There [...]
Amanda Gorman and the influencer economy: how social media stars are shunning greenwashing April 17, 2021 Amanda Gorman, the National Poet Laureate in the US, shot to stardom almost overnight after her reading at Joe Biden’s inauguration. Her picture, taken by Annie Leibovitz, was plastered on the May edition of Vogue. The 23-year-old poet told Vogue she was working on projects that “speak to her” and had turned down various collaborations [...]
Hybrid work is here to stay: we need to learn how to nurture talent virtually April 16, 2021 Last month Reach PLC announced the majority of its workforce will become remote-based. There has been a steady flow of businesses closing their head offices in order to build a hybrid-workforce and it is clear that virtual environments are here to stay. But how do we nurture talent in a virtual environment? And how will [...]
Boris Johnson must follow his own ‘data not dates’ advice and reopen the economy faster April 16, 2021 As few will need reminding, this week marks a crucial milestone for our hospitality sector and our social lives as beer gardens, high streets and outdoor areas open to customers once more. It is uplifting to see our city opening up again, as revellers this week in Soho, London Bridge and Clapham Common will testify. [...]
Data protection: Privacy crackdowns could hand tech giants even greater dominance if we don’t tread carefully April 16, 2021 As consumers of online content, we have all grown used to the knowledge that the internet offers an inexhaustible wealth of information from countless sources, ranging from critically acclaimed journalism to user-generated content. Much of it is completely free and accessible to everyone with an internet connection. The principles of an open and free internet [...]
An ethical dilemma: Penguin Random House made huge sales during the pandemic, but kept the furlough cash April 15, 2021 A little over twelve months ago, Rishi Sunak pumped unprecedented amounts of money into the economy to help ensure businesses could make it through the pandemic – saving as many jobs as possible. Now, as we begin to take our first tentative steps out of the third national lockdown, businesses are under no illusion that [...]
DEBATE: Are the IMF’s proposals for a one-off wealth tax a good idea? April 15, 2021 Danielle Boxall, media campaign manager at the TaxPayers’ Alliance, says No After the deepest recession in 300 years, the last thing ministers should be considering is new taxes. Covid has already placed a huge burden on families and businesses alike, the IMF’s suggestion of new taxes on individuals and companies could choke off the recovery [...]