History shows us that slavery is an economic catastrophe as well as a moral one June 17, 2020 Slavery has certainly been in the headlines in the past couple of weeks. Given this sudden interest in this area of history, it is worth considering the economic lessons it can teach us, as well as the moral ones. Slavery was abolished in England itself in the twelfth century. Then in 1772, Lord Mansfield gave [...]
DEBATE: Is carbon the new calorie when it comes to product labelling and transparency? June 17, 2020 Is carbon the new calorie when it comes to product labelling and transparency? Bracken Darrell, chief executive of Logitech, says YES. Nutritional information on food and drink packaging has been empowering consumers for decades. Now, carbon is the new calorie. Consumers deserve to understand the carbon impact of the products they buy — the impact [...]
Covid hits hospitality: London will change, but there is light at the end of the tunnel June 17, 2020 City A.M. knows the hospitality industry is in trouble – and that London without its bars, restaurants and late-night dens wouldn’t be half the city it is. Hospitality entrepreneur Chris Miller writes today to say that the capital will change – but there are opportunities too. As the saying goes those who are tired of [...]
Covid changes could electrify entrepreneurial Britain, so let’s give SMEs the support they deserve June 16, 2020 We have always been a nation of small businesses. The UK’s 5.9m SMEs account for 99 per cent of all our businesses. They give us jobs, they’re a familiar neighbourhood face — and in the age of coronavirus, new Barclaycard and Enterprise Nation research has found that some are not only surviving, but getting ready [...]
I helped write the manifesto — and now our skills agenda is more important than ever June 16, 2020 With Britain now facing economic challenges that were inconceivable just a few months ago, it’s worth reflecting on some of the ideas we will need to spur economic recovery in today’s very different world — including from the manifesto we wrote before the December 2019 election. I remember vividly that collective sense of elation as [...]
How AI technology is leading the charge against Covid-19 June 16, 2020 The application of artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare has, until now, often been limited to specialised areas such as medical imaging and electronic health records. But with the Covid-19 pandemic introducing new, unexpected complexities for health systems to address, the benefits of AI are finally being realised in the mainstream. From helping us better understand [...]
DEBATE: Are shoppers ready to go back? June 15, 2020 Are Brits really ready to go back to the shops? Georgina Nelson, chief executive and founder of TruRating, says YES. While it would be hard to argue that there won’t be some degree of caution as non-essential retail opens its doors again this week, from the evidence we’ve seen, there is a desire to get [...]
Watch out for too much money — and the return of boom and bust cycles June 15, 2020 Money is growing at record rates in peace time the US, at least by modern standards. The quantity of money in the US (as measured by M3) rose by 7.5 per cent in April 2020. With further strong money growth in May, the annual rate of growth of money has shot up to a shocking [...]
A green light for sustainable investments June 15, 2020 The aftershock of the Covid-19 pandemic will be felt by the economy and our financial markets for years to come, despite the encouraging signs of businesses beginning to open up. Friday’s figures revealed that the economy contracted by 20.4 per cent in April, while the Office for Budget Responsibility recently warned that the crisis could [...]
With China’s mask off, the last days of Hong Kong are upon us June 15, 2020 There is something terrifying about watching freedom die. As a historian, whether contemplating the end of Athens, the last days of the Roman Republic, or the horrors of the French Revolution devouring its children, as a well-wisher to liberty I always feel an ineffable sadness as freedom is snuffed out. And that is precisely what [...]