Reverse new rules on hospitality – or businesses will be lost forever October 5, 2020 David Abrahamovitch is founder and CEO of GRIND The very last thing that the hospitality industry needed was a set of new rules, especially ones that undermine consumer confidence and set the entire sector back even further. It’s incredibly difficult to understand the 10pm curfew and the ‘rule of six’ in the context of the [...]
Khan: ‘False dichotomy’ between saving the economy and saving lives October 5, 2020 I want to speak directly to London’s business leaders at this unprecedented time. It doesn’t matter whether you’re a sole trader or a small business owner, whether you work for a start-up or one of London’s biggest employers – this is the most precarious period for business we have ever faced. As your Mayor, I want [...]
Boohoo is on the wrong side of history when it comes to business ethics and sustainability October 5, 2020 It is alarming to see Bohoo’s profits surge despite confirmation of allegations of endemic abuse at every single step of their supply chain. Yet this outcome does not necessarily come as a shock given that Boohoo’s reputation has consistently been married to a culture of neglect and exploitative worker conditions. Once again, we see commitments [...]
London may be empty but community spirit must stay strong October 5, 2020 Just over six months since lockdown restrictions were first imposed, life today is very different for all of us with workplaces in the Square Mile. My workplace – Mansion House – would normally be buzzing with activity, hosting delegations from around the world and major set-piece events. The government’s recently revised guidance on working from [...]
The first presidential debate portends the coming train wreck for American democracy October 5, 2020 The great playwright, George Bernard Shaw, perfectly summed up the dynamic underlying the shambolic first US presidential debate: “Never wrestle with pigs. You both get muddy but the pig likes it.” Instead, the just-concluded first presidential debate between Donald Trump and Joe Biden — surely the ugliest in the nation’s history — saw both its [...]
Why a second lockdown could turn the lights out on the UK economy October 5, 2020 We have reached a crucial flexion point in the fight against Covid-19, and with this comes new, tighter rules to curb a possible second wave. There is now rising concern that a second wave may result in a second national lockdown, and businesses are urgently seeking reassurance from the government that they will be able [...]
How can businesses empower women in technology in a post Covid-19 world? October 5, 2020 Everyone has felt the wrath of Covid-19. The pandemic blindsided businesses earlier this year and has forced organisations to rapidly step into the unknown. But what have we learnt? And can we apply these learnings to tackle existing issues in technology, like diversity and inclusion? Research from McKinsey Global Institute estimates that women make up [...]
City powerhouses will need to adjust to the “new normal” October 4, 2020 In the past week, London’s leading financial services companies have quickly had to reassess their plans to get employees back to the office. While many industry leaders will have come to a painful realisation that arriving at a “new normal” will be a more iterative process than previously imagined, they should take stock in the [...]
Bounce Back Loans helped SMEs, but we must plan for what comes next October 4, 2020 The launch of the Bounce Back Loan scheme was a watershed moment for hundreds of thousands of SMEs across the country. It gave them what they craved — small loans straight into their bank account, with maximum speed and minimum fuss. For many SMEs, this was the first time they had managed to get financial [...]
Government policy must change if travel companies are to survive the Covid-19 pandemic October 3, 2020 The government’s announcement on 25 July of a quarantine for anyone returning from Spain torpedoed the nascent recovery of the travel industry. Bookings immediately dried up. Since then it’s gone from bad to worse. This week, the government removed Turkey, Poland, and Bonaire, St Eustatius and Saba from its Travel Corridor list, meaning that travellers [...]