Coronavirus: Do governments have any economic bullets left? April 28, 2020 From Beijing to London to New York, the trajectory of confirmed COVID-19 cases and its subsequent impact on economic growth has set off alarm bells across the world. China, which has contributed tremendously to global growth over recent decades, has seen its economy contract for the first time in more than 40 years, while Europe [...]
Small businesses are the heart of the nation – and they need real support April 28, 2020 Dialogue is key during a crisis; it helps us to make the right decision by understanding the problems and challenges we face. That’s why I have been speaking to our customers every day, businesses like Danish Camp, a riverside visitor centre based in Bedford and Wheely Tots a local charity in North London. These conversations [...]
Recovery plans must prioritise small businesses April 28, 2020 If the UK economy is to get back on its feet as soon as possible following the extreme lockdown, there needs to be a small business-first exit strategy. While it is right that decision is led by public health concerns, for the sake of our hugely important small business population, we need to understand the [...]
Coronavirus: The Government knows employers must keep one eye on tomorrow April 27, 2020 During this time of huge uncertainty, financial security is at the forefront of many people’s minds. For those running businesses, the focus is understandably on the here and now, ensuring there’s sufficient cash flow and resources to navigate this enormously challenging period. But employers are also well aware they have to have one eye on [...]
Coronavirus: Government must be more imaginative to save small businesses April 27, 2020 The Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILs) was launched to much fanfare, with people lining up to praise the far-sighted, generous nature of the programme and proclaim how much it would do for small business. A staggering £330 billion was set aside for interest-free loans, with the Government willing to sit behind 80 per cent [...]
China is fighting a Cold War. Has the West realised it yet? April 27, 2020 Beneath the endless conferences and diplomatic niceties, at root international diplomacy is always the handmaiden of power politics. As the 16th century English diplomat, Sir Henry Wotten, so aptly put it, an ambassador can be defined as ‘an honest man sent to lie abroad for the good of his country.’ But the eternal contest for [...]
Coronavirus: The City’s third sector has shone amid pandemic April 27, 2020 The coronavirus outbreak is an unfolding global health emergency that requires us all to play our part. We are seeing people from all walks of society across London and the UK coming together to tackle COVID-19 – be it through fundraising activities, volunteering in the community, or by simply checking in on a lonely neighbour [...]
Coronavirus: Firms must adapt to survive April 26, 2020 As companies slowly transition from shock to survival during what is arguably history’s biggest peacetime crisis, it is becoming increasingly clear that the coronavirus pandemic has the potential to completely transform how the world does business. During an initial ‘Shock Phase’, which started around the middle of March and ended towards the middle of April, [...]
We must understand China to manage the threat of this rising superpower April 24, 2020 Tom Tugendhat MP is Chair of the Commons’ Foreign Affairs Committee As the world gets to grips with Covid-19, it is increasingly clear that this unprecedented crisis will have a huge impact on almost all aspects of our lives. And while some changes may take years to fully appreciate, others are already staring us in [...]
Coronavirus: Healthtech needs a route to market April 23, 2020 In just a few weeks the healthtech sector has made 10 years of progress, underlining why this week’s decision by the Chancellor to create a fund to support our innovative tech startups is necessary. Most entrepreneurs position themselves as problem solvers but in healthtech we are seeing hundreds of tiny companies, often working with world-leading [...]