Coronavirus: Could crisis be a tipping point for compliance and ‘RegTech’? April 17, 2020 We are living in unprecedented times. Due to the human disruption caused by the coronavirus pandemic, a financial downturn is upon us. Against this difficult backdrop, it is my belief that ‘Regtech’, regulatory technology, is very well positioned to weather the storm. Regtech does what it says on the tin: it uses new technology, often [...]
Compassionate capitalism can underpin our coronavirus recovery April 17, 2020 This Covid-19 coronavirus crisis could all be over by autumn. Or by this time next year. We simply do not know. What we do know, however, is that we will need to think carefully and radically about how this country is going to recover from the devastation left behind by the coronavirus pandemic. This pandemic [...]
Coronavirus: The state is strong where it should be weak, and weak where it should be strong April 16, 2020 After politicians in countries all around the world – including political leaders in the United States and Europe – initially ignored and massively underestimated the dangers associated with the coronavirus, it is now clear that huge numbers of people will sooner or later become infected. Even with decisive action, hundreds of thousands will die worldwide. [...]
Coronavirus: Keeping company culture a top priority will pay off April 16, 2020 Small business owners across the nation are, understandably, concerned right now. Daily news reports show the economy coming to a halt, businesses shutting up shop and an ever increasing death toll. SMEs, arguably more than any other group, are equipped to weather this storm. Our connected economy and cloud-based services enable us to continue – in [...]
Coronavirus: The Mayor must do more to protect London’s key workers April 16, 2020 In the last month, 26 staff from London’s transport network died. Most were bus workers. And instead of taking action himself, the Mayor says he needs more international collaboration Don’t get me wrong. There’s a place for international collaboration. After all, London is a global city. But right now, the people who need the Mayor [...]
Coronavirus: Landlords will show pragmatism to save businesses April 15, 2020 Once the Covid-19 pandemic has abated and the UK retail property market returns to some semblance of normality, the way in which landlords reacted to the crisis will be forensically assessed by retailers. The hard lessons learnt by both sides will reshape the landlord-tenant relationship and people will have long memories with regard to how [...]
Coronavirus: Businesses must seize the chance to be altruistic April 15, 2020 We recently interviewed the Manufacturing Director of a large company who told us that in response to the COVID-19 pandemic he had gathered all his suppliers and told them frankly: “We’ll face this together. We share everything.” This leader could easily have placed the entire burden of plummeting demand on the shoulders of suppliers by [...]
Coronavirus: Trump’s partisan attacks could leave him vulnerable in November April 15, 2020 Looking around the world at responses to COVID-19, generally speaking political partisanship has taken a back seat to a genuine spirit of cooperation that transcends party lines. With the general election behind us and local elections delayed, British politics can focus on the task in hand without being too guided by the immediate reaction from [...]
Coronavirus: Sports Direct-ly to a negative reaction April 15, 2020 Sports Direct recently attempted to keep its stores open despite the Government’s COVID-19 lockdown – arguing that, with gyms closed and Brits stuck indoors, exercise equipment counts as an essential service. YouGov polling reveals that the public overwhelmingly disagrees. Some 95% of Brits believe that sports equipment stores are not key services, and just 3% [...]
Coronavirus: Economists have a role to play in recovery April 15, 2020 Lockdowns are starting to be eased in Europe. Austria, Denmark, Italy and Spain are all moving back towards normality. At some point during May, the UK will follow. We can reflect on what the government has got right and wrong so far in the opening phase of the pandemic. This is emphatically not to apportion [...]