Indo pacific cooperation June 27, 2020 The Covid-19 pandemic, climate change, and rising inflation are challenges that affect every part of the world, demonstrating how closely we are interconnected. Global problems need international as well as local solutions, as countries work together towards common goals. This week I am visiting two of our trading allies – Indonesia and Japan –as part [...]
The failure of the track and trace app is the least-worst thing about it June 27, 2020 Last week, the UK government announced a radical change in direction in its track and trace programme. Its contact-tracing app, first announced in early May and once promised as a “world beating” solution, was pulled from development. The NHSX app was abandoned because Apple and Google refused to yield on personal privacy restrictions that are [...]
DEBATE: Will a fall in house prices be good for young people? June 26, 2020 Will a fall in house prices be good for young people? Matthew Addison, chief executive at StepLadder, says YES. Given that we still aren’t building enough homes to satisfy demand as a nation, it is incredibly important for this finite supply to be allocated in a way that works equitably. This hasn’t been the experience [...]
Trump versus Biden: The battle of the brands June 26, 2020 Politics should always be about policies. But in this “post-truth” era, US politics in particular has become disconnected with policy. Instead, the 2020 presidential showdown is about brands: Brand Trump versus Brand Biden. In a normal election year, the presidential race would be up and running right now, with polling numbers over analysed, policies and [...]
The proposal to scrap jury trials is an assault on the cornerstone of our justice system June 26, 2020 You might have missed it in the outpouring of excitement over the reopening of pubs next weekend, but coronavirus could be about to claim a new victim: trial by jury. On Tuesday, while the Prime Minister was unveiling a mass relaxation of lockdown restrictions, justice secretary Robert Buckland was informing MPs that legislation to dramatically [...]
Reassuring pension savers in these turbulent times June 26, 2020 Millions of pension savers across the country are concerned about the state of their finances. Since lockdown began in March, the government’s protective measures have supported both employers and employees through a difficult time. As these measures begin to be eased back, there may be a higher possibility of company insolvencies, and thus reduced financial [...]
The office is about to be transformed, not eliminated June 25, 2020 Are we seeing the demise of the office? Since lockdown measures spurred a working from home revolution in March, many commentators have predicted that this trend is here to stay. But offices are more than bricks and mortar. They play a vital role in forming the very ethos of a business and help shape the [...]
DEBATE: Should the mayor of London move City Hall to the Royal Docks? June 25, 2020 Should the mayor of London move City Hall to the Royal Docks? Joanne McCartney, statutory deputy mayor of London, says YES. The catastrophic economic consequences of Covid-19 have already hit London’s economy hard. Unemployment is rising. Millions are furloughed. Tax revenues have fallen. London councils face a budget shortfall of £1.3bn this year. Transport for [...]
Sadiq Khan is wrong — extending the furlough scheme would hinder London’s recovery, not help it June 25, 2020 Warning of a “looming unemployment crisis”, Sadiq Khan this week made an appeal for a further extension of the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS), under which more than a million Londoners have been furloughed. His concern for London jobs is understandable. But it would be wrong to continue the scheme beyond October. Furloughing made sense [...]
A message from a former Extinction Rebellion activist: Fellow environmentalists, join me in embracing nuclear power June 25, 2020 As the lockdown measures we have become so familiar with over the past three months are slowly eased, discussions are turning to how to move forward with recovering from the economic hit of Covid-19 in a way that also addresses climate change. I have a long history of campaigning on environmental issues, most recently as [...]