DEBATE: Will the coronavirus outbreak have a long-term impact on the Chinese economy? February 4, 2020 Will the coronavirus outbreak have a long-term impact on the Chinese economy? Emma Wall, head of investment analysis at Hargreaves Lansdown, says YES. Gross domestic product is split into three sectors which drive growth: agricultural, industrial, and services. Agriculture, which makes up seven per cent of China’s GDP, has already taken a significant hit in [...]
Demystifying corporate social responsibility: It’s not just about ‘do-gooders’ February 4, 2020 When Nationwide Building Society asked us to maximise the impact of its corporate social responsibility (CSR) function, we were very excited. Nationwide already had a deeply embedded sense of social responsibility. The brand was born out of a social purpose, and since 2007 it has been committed to investing at least one percent of its [...]
Nato members must invest in integrated defence — now February 4, 2020 The world has not stood idly by while the Brexit drama has played out these past few years. Now that it is blessedly ending, London must catch up on what it has been missing in the strategic world. Imagine the following scenario. Citizens of a small eastern European nation within Nato awake to find that [...]
Welcome to stage two of the Brexit battle: the ‘level playing field’ February 4, 2020 The battle of visions has begun. Boris Johnson views non-alignment with the major common EU rules as sacrosanct — unsurprising, since the UK has now withdrawn from the bloc. The European Commission, meanwhile, seeks an alignment of standards across a vast body of EU policy in return for a good trade deal. The essence of [...]
The UK’s unrivalled regulatory framework is at the heart of our success as a finance hub February 4, 2020 Britain has officially progressed into the next chapter of growth, and can begin negotiations to achieve the trading partnerships and relationships that will secure our competitive future. Having spent several years in the City myself and now as MP for Hitchin and Harpenden, a constituency with thousands working in financial services, this sector remains one [...]
Forging closer ties with India is crucial, but let’s not lose sight of our neighbours February 3, 2020 Now that the UK has formally left the EU, our trading ties with partners across the world will be more in focus than ever before. This includes our relationship with India, a country I visited last week to promote ties in financial and professional services. The UK-India partnership is now worth some £20bn, with nearly [...]
DEBATE: Has the classic British cup of tea fallen out of fashion? February 3, 2020 Unilever could be selling its PG Tips and Lipton tea brands. Has the classic British cuppa fallen out of fashion? YES, says Jeff Young, founder of the London Coffee Festival, which celebrates its tenth anniversary on 2–5 April 2020. Britain is becoming a nation of coffee drinkers. This journey started 20 years ago with the [...]
Boris Johnson’s disastrous Huawei decision is an act of national self-harm February 3, 2020 Powerful US Republican senator Tom Cotton of Arkansas put it best. Letting the state-sponsored Chinese technology firm Huawei build even a portion of Britain’s 5G network — as the Prime Minister nonsensically decided to do last week — is quite a bit like letting the KGB construct the British phone systems in the 1980s. At [...]
Markets must wake up to the risks of the coronavirus February 3, 2020 It is still too early to be certain on the relative infectiousness or mortality rate of the new coronavirus. Nevertheless, there have been close to 10,000 confirmed cases, and 40m people in China are currently facing travel restrictions. The virus has now spread to 23 territories, including the UK, where two cases were confirmed last [...]
Businesses and young people should embrace the apprenticeship revolution February 3, 2020 If you are looking for a business leader of the future, look no further than Jamilah. Her peers are yet to graduate from university, and this brilliant digital marketeer already has a qualification and a role at Google on her CV. Jamilah, and thousands like her, are taking advantage of new apprenticeship opportunities, shaking up [...]