Let’s not squander this unique opportunity to harness the benefits of a new model for work July 30, 2020 It’s no stretch to say that, without remote working, thousands of businesses would have ground to a halt over lockdown. The mass work-from-home experiment over the past four months has not only saved them, but shown that it is possible to fundamentally shift ways of working while continuing to be productive and deliver results. Before [...]
Want a cure for Covid right now? Stop smoking, exercise more, and focus on holistic health July 30, 2020 So much of the conversation around how to beat Covid-19 has focused on the Holy Grail of a vaccine. This is obviously of utmost importance. But to beat coronavirus, as well as prepare for the next pandemic, we need a new definition of health — one that can strengthen our natural immunity and save thousands [...]
Business rates aren’t fit for purpose but Rishi Sunak’s digital tax is a sticking plaster, not a solution July 30, 2020 Long before the coronavirus pandemic, our high streets were struggling. Faced with the rise of online sales, many well-known retailers were either closing stores, entering a form of insolvency known as a company voluntary arrangement (CVA), or falling into administration. The oft-quoted analysis of this demise was that the costs of running a physical store [...]
It took a pandemic to show it, but now we can all see that internet access is a human right July 29, 2020 The coronavirus pandemic has shown us the importance of the internet — but for many around the world, it could be the difference between life and death. It is time to realise that the web is not a luxury, but a necessity and a human right. The internet has become a lifesaving tool during this [...]
Great expectations: The Darwinian wars of economic and epidemiological forecasting July 29, 2020 A key concept in modern economics is, to use the jargon term, rational expectations. The idea has dominated orthodox macroeconomics over the past 30 years. Not all economists have been persuaded of its merits by any means, but nevertheless, its influence has extended far beyond academia, into finance ministries and central banks around the world. [...]
Lose five pounds for the government? It’s thanks to the government I gained it in the first place July 29, 2020 I cannot be the only person who has gained five pounds during lockdown. I am still far from overweight (the NHS BMI calculator helpfully tells me that I am in the optimum range for my age and height), but the government’s sudden fixation on slimming down the nation has not exactly been great for my [...]
Harness young talent to get the UK economy back on track July 29, 2020 As businesses continue to feel the economic disruption created by Covid-19, front of mind will be not only confronting the immediate challenges, but their long-term recovery plan and the actions necessary to ensure that they emerge from the crisis in a strong and competitive position. The UK’s young talent is a core part of this. [...]
Letter: Is the government right to focus on obesity as its top public health issue? July 29, 2020 Re: Is the government right to focus on obesity as its top public health issue? People with obesity are at a much greater risk of serious Covid-19-related complications and death. They are also more likely to require hospitalisation, ICU admission, and mechanical ventilation. Hence, addressing obesity makes sense not only as a way to prevent [...]
A digital tax is no way to reward our innovative online retailers July 28, 2020 Throughout lockdown, the advantages — indeed, the essentiality — of online retail became clear. Now, Rishi Sunak is rumoured to be mulling over a new online sales tax. Advocates for this new tax, such as SportsDirect owner Mike Ashley and Tesco boss Dave Lewis, believe that the existing business rates system creates an uneven playing [...]
An e-citizenship scheme would put the UK at the heart of global trade July 28, 2020 The global population of startups and entrepreneurs is on the rise. According to the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor, just 8.9 per cent of the world’s population was involved in some sort of startup business in 2001. By 2016, that figure was 14 per cent. In the most entrepreneurial countries, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, startups can employ [...]