Signs of an economy trying to grow January 13, 2020 The capital starts the new decade with a spring in its step. In fact, it bounced along nicely (and ahead of the rest of the country) throughout last year, and still found space to cash in some pent-up investment in the wake of Boris Johnson’s electoral victory. London’s dominance is a familiar story, but given [...]
How to quit your job with royal grace like Harry and Meghan January 13, 2020 We can all sympathise with Harry and Meghan’s predicament. You take a nice long break over the Christmas period, perhaps squeeze in a few days abroad and enjoy some long walks at one with nature. The fresh air clears your head (or maybe it was that extra glass of prosecco?) and you realise that you’ve [...]
DEBATE: Is there any real benefit to food brands jumping on Veganuary? January 13, 2020 From Greggs to Burger King, the ‘Veganuary’ movement is quickly gaining members — but is there any real benefit to food brands that jump on the plant-based bandwagon? YES, says Mike Foster, founder and creative director of Straight Forward Design. Just ask Greggs. Its vegan sausage roll, launched during Veganuary 2019, is the bakery chain’s biggest [...]
Founders need the stamina to run a marathon, not a sprint January 13, 2020 Who’d have thought it? Turns out that marathons are good for you. New research last week revealed that one of the best ways to reduce your cardiovascular age is to get your jogging shoes on and complete the mammoth test of endurance. This comes despite years of expert warnings that this type of exercise was [...]
DEBATE: Is the government being short-sighted in maintaining the ban on chlorinated chicken? January 13, 2020 Is the government being short-sighted in maintaining the ban on chlorinated chicken? Victoria Hewson, head of regulatory affairs at the IEA, says YES, Promising to keep EU rules banning hormone-reared beef and chicken that has had pathogen reduction treatment (anti-microbial rinses, some of which contain low levels of a chlorine solution) is short-sighted and irrational. [...]
With its foray into facial recognition, Uber is normalising mass surveillance January 13, 2020 The news late last year that Uber plans to introduce facial recognition technology seems to have mostly escaped the notice of the public, buried as the story was beneath five or six paragraphs in most of the reports on the loss of the firm’s London licence. Or perhaps, as one depressing Wall Street Journal headline [...]
The City should be proud of its world-class cultural scene January 13, 2020 When I decided the themes for my mayoral year, I was determined to show my support for culture, heritage and the arts, which are at the heart of life in the City and a driving force for the UK’s economic growth. Our world-leading culture offer encourages us to think differently about ourselves and our lives. [...]
Corbyn’s defeat won’t end the debate about capitalism January 10, 2020 The city, the wider business community and, indeed, our entire market economy may have escaped the ravages of Corbynism, but that doesn’t mean questions about corporate conduct or the nature of modern capitalism will fall away. Nor does it mean that business leaders and advocates of liberal, free-market economics should step back from addressing issues [...]
This Veganuary, I’m trusting people to eat what they want January 10, 2020 Welcome to January, the month of new year’s resolutions. Dietary transformation has always been central to the post-Christmas madness — eating “better” is probably the most cliched resolution there is. But whereas this used to be framed primarily in terms of weight loss, with fads like intermittent fasting and protein shakes taking centre stage, in [...]
DEBATE: Could bringing back bonuses help make pay fairer? January 10, 2020 Could bringing back performance-based bonuses help make pay fairer? YES, says Giles Gibbons, chief executive of Good Business, an ethical strategy consultancy. News this week that FTSE 100 bosses earn a typical worker’s wage in just 33 hours angered people across the UK — something has to change. And counter-intuitive as it may seem, bringing [...]