Shakespeare: Will Hill could be first past the post once lockdown lifts May 27, 2020 Businesses that rely on sports for a large percentage of their revenue have suffered particularly during two months of nationwide lockdown, with no sign of sports returning to pre-lockdown levels anytime soon. Gambling firms have consequently seen customer bases diminish during the last few months, as seen by William Hill, who released a statement reporting [...]
Covid crisis has exposed the Scottish nationalists once again May 27, 2020 In London, the Covid virus is disappearing rapidly. Hospital trusts are increasingly reporting days with no new cases at all. During the crisis, there has been a proliferation of home-made signs in rural locations telling city dwellers, with varying degrees of politeness, to turn back and go home. Will we now see messages at junctions [...]
Office Politics: How will independent consulting change post-Covid? May 27, 2020 The coronavirus crisis has permanently changed the way we work, showing that remote working is now an increasingly viable solution. As the world learns to adapt to a post-covid working world independent consultants are well placed to support this. When the gig economy is mentioned, Uber and Deliveroo are often the first names that come [...]
CBILs failings are leading us to catastrophe May 26, 2020 Ranald Macdonald is a restaurateur and Managing Director of Boisdale Group The UK is sleepwalking into a financial disaster of biblical proportions that will exacerbate the economic effects of Covid many times over. Other leading nations, like Germany, the US and France, will avoid this calamity as they have been far more successful in ensuring [...]
Closing the backdoor to EU dumping May 25, 2020 Full sovereignty is fundamental to the UK’s success in the post-Brexit future. For it to be achieved a number of loose ends left by the Brexit withdrawal process must be tied up. This should now be a priority for the future trade deal, so the UK can ensure UK citizens and businesses can compete fairly [...]
Hulsman: The world through China’s eyes May 25, 2020 Modern China begins with Deng Xiaoping, the most important man of the twentieth century westerners know next to nothing about. Deng’s story makes up the final chapter of my most recent book, To Dare More Boldly: The Audacious Story Of Political Risk; in it I chart his magical act of political alchemy. Surveying the wreckage [...]
London’s businesses still need more help May 22, 2020 More than two months since lockdown began, large parts of the capital’s vibrant and thriving economy remain on ice. In particular, the leisure, cultural and hospitality sectors, which are a cornerstone of our city’s success, are at the sharp end of the crisis. Our buzzing night-time economy is on hold: the pubs, clubs and restaurants [...]
There remains plenty for London to be optimistic about May 22, 2020 Back in January, I wrote that the City of London has much to be optimistic about. As a Hong Kong-based investor with close ties to the UK, I could see that the British people’s decision to leave the EU would have little material impact on its future success. I believed that the foundations were strong [...]
We need a new approach to city resilience May 22, 2020 Globally, cities are fundamental drivers of economic performance. If a nation’s major cities function well, the overall economy benefits in terms of jobs and innovation of products and services. The World Bank states that 55% of the world’s population – 4.2 billion people – now live in cities, generating 80% of global GDP. Protecting cities [...]
Time to empower the doers in society May 22, 2020 A hands-on state has served society well during recent weeks. A selectively hands-off state is now needed for the economy to bounce back. Except during war it is hard to think of any other circumstance when decisive government intervention is more needed than during a deadly pandemic. However, the Coronavirus story is not only a [...]