Saving Christmas: Why I am taking the government to court over its Covid-19 response September 16, 2020 Once again, the public has had a royal telling-off by Boris and his motley crew. With gatherings of over six banned from Monday, it almost feels like Groundhog Day – but there is one crucial difference. This time, we have seven months of lockdown under our belts and with this, reams of repugnant evidence that [...]
Coronavirus fatality rates are way down – why has the government not taken this on board? September 16, 2020 King Canute has had a bad press. The monarch sat on the beach on his throne with the deliberate intention of demonstrating to his courtiers that he could not stop the waves from coming in. But in popular thinking, he is the deranged king who believed he could control the sea. In this spirit, step [...]
It is vital that lenders understand the personal impact of the coronavirus pandemic September 16, 2020 Our capital city is expensive. Many of us rely on credit to make ends meet here. We are also a city made up of renters, recent immigrants, gig workers and young professionals – many of whom will, through no fault of their own, struggle to access credit. They are invisible to lenders and therefore denied [...]
Zoom has stolen a march on its rivals during the pandemic – here’s why September 16, 2020 Six months ago when most people did no more than toy with video conferencing platforms, it would have been hard to pick a winner from the available options. But now the market is dominated by one name: Zoom. Zoom’s business has grown 355 per cent year on year, topping even the most ambitious analyst estimates. [...]
We should embrace data and use it well – not guard against it September 15, 2020 The coronavirus pandemic holds no shortage of challenges for British business, but it has highlighted the importance of data. Combined with good judgment and expert knowledge, it gives us the insight to act with accuracy and speed. Data has identified where to send medical supplies or channel financial support to businesses. It has allowed food [...]
Commercial rewilding: How businesses can make Britain beautiful again September 15, 2020 We were all shocked by the weekend’s exploration of the crisis of biodiversity by David Attenborough. Everybody wants to do something, and we know that rewilding is one of the best ways to reverse biodiversity decline. But when people hear the term rewilding they usually have an idea of golden eagles and wildcats being reintroduced [...]
Tax-free shopping: Give the high street the shot in the arm it so urgently needs September 15, 2020 As the Brexit debate rages on, and with the end of the transition period looming, the pressure is on to draw a line under deal talks by the end of October. Much has been made of the potential benefits for UK consumers in the event of no-deal – a Brexit Bonus, if you will. But [...]
Debate: Have young people been hardest hit by lockdown? September 15, 2020 Last week, politicians split opinion by suggesting that young people were partly to blame for the sharp rise in coronavirus cases. It led to cries that young people have been hit the hardest by the coronavirus lockdown – while others think this is not the case. For the City A.M. debate, Sean Farrington of tech [...]
Businesses have done a good job as emergency policy makers – but they must not get complacent September 14, 2020 Government policy and regulation must at times play catch-up with reality. In recent times, this has been especially prevalent with the social and digital media giants, who have enjoyed free rein while policy makers struggle to work out how to deal with the potential harms they bring. But if we thought that the rise and [...]
A step-by-step guide for SMEs as the furlough scheme nears its end September 14, 2020 Much ink has been spilled and many voices raised on what the government should do to save our small businesses in the wake of Covid-19. Indeed, the politicians have a large role to play in ensuring the UK’s small-and medium-sized enterprises continue trading. With 99 per cent of all business in the UK defined as [...]