Where we are in terms of political risk in 2021 December 31, 2020 Happy New Year to City A.M. readers! Writing a regular newspaper column is a lot like dancing: it takes two to tango. Suffice it to say, while I’ve kept the flame alive these past enervating lockdown months via ceaseless articles detailing the bottomless gloom of 2020, I’m delighted that 2021 may generally bring more positive [...]
When will our lives begin? What I learned from 2020 — and from Disney’s Tangled December 31, 2020 Like so many people tasked with entertaining children over Christmas, I have spent the last week watching an inordinate amount of Disney. That is to be expected. What I did not expect was finding the ultimate lockdown song. I am talking of the opening number from Tangled, the 2010 version of Rapunzel, entitled “When will [...]
Boris must find the bandwidth to take on Sturgeon – and keep the UK united December 30, 2020 Being prime minister is not an easy job. Whether you adopt the approach of Thatcher’s four-hours-a-night, or Macmillan’s retreating to Trollope novels at moments of extreme stress, it is a position which occupies your every waking (and probably many a sleeping) moment; the situation is not helped by the fact that the vast majority of [...]
Tech predictions for 2021 December 30, 2020 2020 will forever be remembered as the year of the pandemic. The economic fallout was felt by millions of people and businesses around the world, across different sectors. The tech industry, however, has proved remarkably resilient. The big tech story of 2020 has been how many companies actually thrived during this unprecedented period, surpassing expectations. [...]
A booming Britain will need a broadband boost, too December 29, 2020 The best possible platform from which to launch the UK into its post-Brexit future outside the European Union is world class digital infrastructure. Only underpinned by the fastest Full Fibre networks will the UK be able to establish itself as a leading digital economy. Full Fibre will enable us to compete with countries and companies [...]
Tech jobs are an engine at the heart of our 21st century economy December 29, 2020 If the strength of UK tech was ever in doubt, just take a glance at today’s end-of-year report from Tech Nation and the Digital Economy Council. Despite an incredibly turbulent 2020, stat after stat speaks to the sector’s resilience. As a result of the pandemic, tech, the ultimate disrupter of other industries, has found itself [...]
Fashion-forward: Is Covid the final nail in the coffin for City-formal? December 29, 2020 The City has long been a bastion of men’s fashion. While you may not instantly put Cheapside, Leadenhall and Threadneedle in the same category as Carnaby Street or Camden when it comes to setting fashion trends, since time immemorial the best-dressed businessmen in the world have strutted their stuff in the streets, offices and certainly [...]
Cultural shift and digital savvy will see us accelerate our IPO plans December 26, 2020 The end of a year is usually a time for companies to reflect and look back at goals reached, lessons learned and ways to continue progressing in the months ahead. We are excited about what 2021 has in store. We have been open about seeking a listing on London Stock Exchange, a first step in [...]
The tragedy of America’s foreign policy establishment December 25, 2020 Anthony Blinken was a cut above the rest personally. Well-educated, good-looking, quietly ironical (and quite funny), absorbed in the work at hand, and keenly intelligent, Tony seemed to be in it for the Republic, rather than himself — a rarity in a town built on often unearned self-promotion. Read more: Joe Biden could favour Ireland [...]
Whitbread – at the end of the day, someone has to pay December 24, 2020 Whitbread, the owner of popular hospitality chains Premier Inn, Beefeater and Brewers Fayre, has written to the landlords of its properties asking for a rent reduction of 50% for the next three months, to “share some of the pain” of the ongoing pandemic and the restrictions on hospitality. It seems, prima facie, a reasonable request. [...]