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 [...]
We risk entrenching racial inequalities unless we change our economic response to Covid-19 June 4, 2020 Like many, I have been deeply worried by the growing evidence about the disproportionate impact of Covid-19 on our black and ethnic minority (BAME) communities. Public Health England’s latest research, released this week, shows that BAME communities are at far higher risk of catching Covid-19 and are at greater risk of dying from the disease [...]
Let hydrogen fuel our vehicles to a greener future June 4, 2020 Almost exactly a year ago, the UK became the first major economy to sign into law an ambition to become carbon neutral by 2050. Getting to “net zero” will be a monumental feat, and will require both behavioural changes and new technological solutions coming to market. Such efforts are essential to protect against the worst [...]
DEBATE: Should the government rethink its quarantine rules? June 4, 2020 Should the government rethink its 14-day quarantine rules for new UK arrivals? Kate Nicholls, chief executive at UKHospitality, says YES. International tourism is a significant driver of our economy and is going to be key to recovering from the Covid-19 crisis. The proposed 14-day quarantine will inevitably damage international visitor travel and could hurt consumer [...]
Survive and thrive: KERB hopes to bring some flavour to the streets June 4, 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, Simon Mitchell – CEO of street food pioneers KERB – writes for City A.M. on his hopes for the future, inside and outside their new Covent Garden flagship Rewind 11 weeks ago to [...]
The global mobility bounceback is closer than you think June 4, 2020 Premature though it may seem, there are reasons to be optimistic about the return of global mobility as the threat of Covid-19 recedes. As countries begin to reopen their borders, new findings from the Passport Index reveal figures that show global mobility returning to a historic upward trend. The World Openness Score, the Passport Index’s [...]
The key to fixing the housing and social care sectors — with one policy June 3, 2020 Few would deny we have a housing crisis in this country — and even fewer that the social care system, which has suffered so much in recent weeks, needs urgent reform. These two facts may seem to have little correlation, but a report out today from Cass Business School and ARCO — entitled Too Little, [...]
Twitter’s feud with Trump could be a savvy business move June 3, 2020 The social media founders promised utopias, where speech would be democratised and each of us would be given our voice in the public square. Utopias, however, have always been tricky. The term was coined by Thomas More in his 1516 work of the same name, and it was a pun that More’s learned readers would [...]