Boris bounce must be given the right boost January 23, 2020 The weather may be turning for the worse, but it appears that the economy has some sunlit uplands in its sights. Day after day seems to bring a new survey which suggests that business leaders, households and analysts are feeling a little chirpier about 2020. Today the CBI and Atheneum join a growing chorus of [...]
The world has changed, but Davos has failed to keep up January 23, 2020 As the fiftieth World Economic Forum’s annual Davos meet-up continues, “grounded” British ministers are, according to Boris Johnson, focusing on priorities at home — or forging stronger relationships with African states at the UK-Africa Investment Summit. It’s a shrewd move, not only because of the way it looks in the press for the Prime Minister’s [...]
Don’t underestimate the politics of infrastructure January 23, 2020 The Conservative election campaign slogan may have been “Get Brexit Done”, but the fate of this government will ultimately hinge on what it does here at home — specifically regarding infrastructure. It is widely accepted, including by the Prime Minister himself and his chief aide Dominic Cummings, that the Conservatives need to do more than [...]
A day in the life of the worker of 2040 January 23, 2020 Looking back to 2000, it’s hard to imagine that anyone would have truly seen what was about to hit us, not just in our personal lives, but our professional ones too — from the invention of the smartphone and social media, to the humble USB stick. So, as we enter the next 20 years, CWJobs [...]
DEBATE: With reports that Jeff Bezos was hacked, is WhatsApp a viable place to do business? January 23, 2020 With reports that Jeff Bezos was hacked, is WhatsApp a viable place to do business? Yoav Keren, chief executive of BrandShield, says YES. Amazon boss Jeff Bezos appears to be the victim of a classic “spear phishing” attack. But while people might be alarmed that one of the richest and most high-profile people in the [...]
We must not get stuck in an EU thicket January 22, 2020 Boris Johnson’s victory in the General Election means Britain will now, finally, after three years of dithering and obstruction, be free to set out on its own path of trade-energised growth and prosperity. Rather surprisingly, the UK’s political classes and business seem shocked that the UK will not be aligning to European regulations. They overlook [...]
Davos Diary: Day 3 January 22, 2020 A late night last night at Davos, as I was invited to four events and wanted to attend them all! I finished the evening with my old friend Anthony Scaramucci, always a tonic for even the most fatigued mind, and when I eventually found my way to bed it was with a sense of a [...]
Can the UK deal with both Brussels and DC? January 22, 2020 To take Donald Trump literally, but not seriously, is a mistake that many have made since he transitioned from waning reality TV star to political insurgent and leader of the free world. It is true that many of his chosen and oft-quoted facts are at best disputable, and his tweeted assaults on the English language [...]
HS2: Right project, wrong pitch to the public January 22, 2020 HS2 will become a case study in the importance of having your corporate communications in order. Since the beginning, protestors have successfully framed the project as being about shaving 10 minutes of a journey between Birmingham and London, and this narrative has cut through to the media, members of the public, and even politicians. While [...]
Our way, not the Huawei — for the sake of national security January 22, 2020 Boris Johnson might have been forgiven for thinking that the biggest dilemma he inherited from Theresa May would be how to resolve Brexit. But a second straggler from the May era has reared its head to disrupt the post-election serenity. How the Prime Minister chooses to deal with it may have long-term effects as important [...]