Putting out the fire in America June 6, 2020 Following almost two weeks of nationwide riots in the US in response to the sickening murder of George Floyd by a brutal Minneapolis police officer, this week I could in good conscience write of nothing else. Now is the time for the bravery to alienate both “sides”. Now is the time for truth-telling if the [...]
Letter: Should the transition period be extended? June 6, 2020 Re: Given the lack of progress during the Covid-19 crisis, should the transition period be extended? The answer to this question depends on how one weighs the trade-off between politics and economics. Even a Brexit with a deal will impose a further hit on the UK economy. The idea we should have regulatory autonomy to [...]
Build it better: A game-changing new approach to construction procurement June 5, 2020 For many years — decades, in fact — reviews of the construction sector have cried out for reform. Architects, engineers, clients and contractors have been tied into procurement models that are too adversarial and do not always have the best interest of the project at heart. Some reforms did happen — but none so significant [...]
A Machiavellian mastermind or a naïve kid? The story of the Flash Crash Trader June 5, 2020 On a cold morning in April 2015, half a dozen FBI agents and police officers pulled up outside a modest semi-detached house in Hounslow to arrest a man they considered to be among the most prolific and dangerous market manipulators in the world. Their target, Navinder Singh Sarao, had accumulated $70m buying and selling futures [...]
Survive and thrive: Spencer Matthews’ low-alcohol brand is Clean-ing up June 5, 2020 London’s businesses have been forced to weather a storm they never saw coming, but many have pivoted to new ways of doing business. Today, City A.M. talks to the reality TV star-turned-entrepreneur Spencer Matthews about his Clean Liquor Company, selling low-alcohol spirits on Instagram and global ambitions For any business, at any time, consistently increasing [...]
Quite the tonic: Bombay Sapphire goes green June 5, 2020 On World Environment Day, City A.M. speaks to an iconic British brand that’s put going green at the heart of its business “Other than keeping people safe, the most important part of my role is nosing and tasting the gin.” So says Dr. Anne Brock, with the airy nonchalance of somebody who doesn’t quite understand [...]
Put sharing at the heart of the post-Covid economy June 5, 2020 As we begin to emerge from lockdown, it’s not hard to see the damage that Covid-19 has done to small businesses on the high-street. What’s perhaps less obvious is the impact it has had on digital SMEs, particularly those that make up Britain’s vibrant sharing economy. At the beginning of 2020, an Ipsos Mori poll [...]
DEBATE: Given the lack of progress during the Covid-19 crisis, should the transition period be extended? June 5, 2020 Given the lack of progress during the Covid-19 crisis, should the Brexit transition period be extended? Sir Vince Cable, former leader of the Liberal Democrats and former secretary of state for business, innovation and skills, says YES. Extending the transition period will become critical as this government limps towards the end of June with no [...]
A pro-growth vision for the UK economy June 5, 2020 The UK needs a pro-growth economic policy. That is one of the key lessons likely to arise from this crisis. It is also the central message of a new report that I have co-authored for the think tank Policy Exchange. The pro-growth strategy should be based on three arrows: credible fiscal activism, monetary and financial [...]
A menu of options to keep our restaurants alive June 4, 2020 You all know the image: a politician enjoying a pint or a meal at their local restaurant. There are handshakes all round and a picture is posted on Twitter. It is — rightly — a scene that shows MPs or councillors backing businesses, particularly the small and medium sized enterprises which make up the lifeblood [...]