DEBATE: Should Brits embrace the joys of the domestic staycation this summer? July 24, 2020 Should Brits embrace the joys of the domestic staycation this summer? Victoria Mackarness, senior account manager at CMS Strategic, says YES. The UK is lucky to boast an abundance of incredible holiday destinations with something to appeal to everyone. From the Highlands of Scotland to the beaches of St Ives, we are blessed with glorious [...]
We can’t tax our way out of the Covid-19 crisis — instead, the chancellor must drive growth July 24, 2020 There has never been a time to my knowledge when, in the run up to a Budget or other fiscal event, the Treasury has not highlighted the pressures on public finances which made the option for significant (or, indeed, any) net tax cuts unwise. Typically, projected shortfalls in the state’s annual budgets have been in [...]
Counting the human cost of Covid — and of leaving small business owners behind July 23, 2020 The daily lists of cases, tests and R numbers tell a tale of the scale of the Covid-19 crisis, but they don’t always explain the full story of the cost on people’s lives. ACCA and the Corporate Finance Network (CFN) are running a tracker poll among accountancy firms representing more than 22,000 small businesses to [...]
From Mad Men to micro-targeting: The internet has democratised advertising July 23, 2020 The coronavirus pandemic has shown that the internet is something we can no longer live without. It has helped us to connect with loved ones we have been unable to physically meet, build communities and groups online to provide help to those who needed it most, and crucially it has enabled small businesses to continue [...]
Social responsibility belongs in the boardroom, not the marketing suite July 23, 2020 The issues that concern young people the most today — from the climate crisis and global pandemic to new conversations on race and privilege — are ones that also belong in the boardroom. Our world is changing fast, and so too are society’s expectations of corporate Britain — not just when it comes to the [...]
Pompeo and Circumstance: The special relationship endures July 23, 2020 The visit of a US secretary of state to any country is always an eagerly anticipated affair. Short of a US presidential visit, there is little that can match the arrival of the global superpower’s leading diplomat onto any domestic stage, as can be testified by the extreme media and political interest these encounters provide. [...]
California dreaming: A plan to phase out petrol and diesel cars that might actually work July 23, 2020 Transport is now the UK’s biggest source of climate-warming greenhouse gases. While other sectors slash their carbon footprint, our cars alone continue to produce 15 per cent of annual emissions — and the figure is still rising. To tackle this, earlier this year the government announced plans to bring forward a ban on new petrol [...]
DEBATE: Will long-term remote working jeopardise London’s status as a global financial centre? July 23, 2020 Will long-term remote working jeopardise London’s status as a global financial centre? Giles Fuchs, chief executive of Office Space in Town, says YES. An enduring shift towards remote working and away from the office in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic would spell disaster for London’s status as a global financial hub. Home to 1.1m [...]
Build, build, build needs the right foundations July 22, 2020 If you’re a British Prime Minister, betting your premiership on infrastructure delivery is what Sir Humphrey might call a “brave” move. Recent history suggests that this country is, frankly, terrible at infrastructure. Barring a few beacons which shine very bright – the 2012 Olympics, the new Thames Gateway port, the second Severn river crossing – [...]
Career versus motherhood: When workplaces don’t support women, the result is a fertility crisis July 22, 2020 You’d think that a global crash in fertility rates, which will see the world’s population fall dramatically by the end of the century, might be music to the ears of any sustainability professional. Lower populations, after all, equal lower environmental impacts. Yet dig a bit deeper into the research published last week by University of [...]