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 [...]
Government must re-engineer the economy for a new way of working February 14, 2021 The Bank of England predicts the UK economy will recover rapidly from the Covid-19 shock, as vaccines are rolled out across the country. But might a vaccine-resistant mutation and a failure to bring workers back to offices with sufficient speed scupper such optimistic forecasts? The threats are real and worth considering. The chance of a [...]
A new WTO boss who understands Africa is a good thing for the global economy February 14, 2021 After diplomatic horse-trading, the new head of the WTO has been all but confirmed – former Nigerian finance minister Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala. She will be the first African to take the role. The Rt. Hon. Mark Simmonds, a former Foreign Office minister with responsibility for the continent, argues it’s a good thing for the globe. Okonjo-Iweala’s familiarity [...]
Eye carumba: Tips for looking after your vision on (endless) days in front of a laptop February 13, 2021 Early morning starts and late evenings spent in front of a screen have become the norm for city home workers. All of that time in front of a bright screen coupled with heating and poor room lighting can have a negative impact on your eyes. In fact, extensive use of computers can lead to computer vision syndrome (CVS), [...]
Runaway inflation might not happen. But what if it does? February 13, 2021 As 2021 dawned, we were all inevitably thinking thank Goodness 2020 is over. And fair enough. But I felt a little less easy when friends went on to say, 2021 can’t be any worse. Actually, how can we know? Think of January 1666: was the average Londoner – say, a baker on Pudding Lane – thinking, thank Goodness [...]
Britain’s billboards are lighting up despite lockdown restrictions February 13, 2021 The billboard industry – also known as out-of-home (OOH) advertising – earlier this month received a welcome shot in the arm comparable to the good news surrounding the UK’s vaccination efforts. The latest expenditure report from the Advertising Association and WARC forecast OOH media channels will recover and expand significantly this year, with digital OOH [...]
Lawyers, guns and money: How to futureproof the defence industry February 12, 2021 They say that everything is bigger in America. That is certainly true when it comes to defence spending. The prime minister recently announced an increase in UK military expenditure of £16.5 billion over four years, which seems like a lot of money: but then remember that the Pentagon’s annual budget for this year is a [...]
Screenshot: Should online harms laws take on the hackers and pirates? February 12, 2021 This week **Media Moment of the Week: Ya boi in Hanoi **Who’s taking on the online hackers and pirates? **Will Big Tech finally cough up for news? Media Moment of the Week: Ya boi in Hanoi Tempted as I was to feature *that* cat lawyer this week, I think perhaps, to borrow Michael Gove’s words, [...]
Flutter: Gambling industry is listening, and responding, to addiction concerns February 12, 2021 This week sees the close of the Gambling Commission’s consultation on customer interaction, which includes proposals to set stricter affordability assessments for UK online punters. It is an important issue for anyone with a view on gambling and will be a significant part of the Government’s review into the Gambling Act which is currently calling [...]
Hongkongers will enrich the UK – and we must make their transition as smooth as possible February 12, 2021 Today is Chinese New Year, marking the beginning of the Year of the Metal Ox. This particular year, the theme of new beginnings will resonate strongly with thousands – as the UK Government’s decision to allow Hong Kong residents to come to the UK looks set to create fresh starts for upwards of 300,000 people, if not more. This is by no means [...]