Pension funds are putting more money into property debt December 17, 2019 When the Alternative Credit Council recently predicted that the global private debt market will be worth in excess of $1 trillion by the end of 2020, some might have called the claim a little audacious. Only seven years ago, less than £1 in every £10 lent in the UK came from an alternative lender. Today, [...]
DEBATE: Is it time for a review of the licence fee and how the BBC is structured? December 17, 2019 Is it time for a review of the licence fee and how the BBC is structured? Jamie Williams, managing partner at the advertising agency isobel, says YES. In a perfect world, the BBC licence fee structure could remain as it is, and the BBC would produce brilliantly entertaining content and unbiased news coverage at affordable [...]
This is a political renaissance — but can British business adapt? December 17, 2019 “A horse, a horse, my kingdom for a horse.” As history buffs will know, the Battle of Bosworth Field didn’t work out well for Richard III, and with it the last of the titanic struggles of the War of the Roses. Described by Shakespeare as “the one big battle”, this event was to finally settle [...]
Get Brexit done, yes — but now onto the urgent domestic agenda December 17, 2019 It may have seemed like a lifetime, but the six-week election campaign period has finally drawn to a close. And at the end of January, the UK is set to leave the EU — at the fourth attempt. With a thumping majority, the Prime Minister should face little challenge in getting his withdrawal agreement through [...]
Dominic Cummings may be ruthless, but he delivers when it comes to securing victory December 16, 2019 The Tories’ election victory may have been fronted by the indefatigable Boris Johnson, but underlying it was the vindication of a strategy conceived by his chief advisor: Dominic Cummings. He may have gained notoriety as campaign director of Vote Leave in the EU referendum, but it was his role in masterminding the 2004 “North East [...]
This iteration of Labour has no chance of ever winning an election again December 16, 2019 “‘Winning’ is the small bit that matters to political elites who want to keep power themselves.” These words, tweeted in July 2016 by Corbynista activist Jon Lansman, summarise with chilling clarity the state in which Labour now finds itself. Still reeling from its worst election result since 1935, the buoyancy of the Labour campaign has [...]
What will Johnsonism look like in practice? December 16, 2019 The ramifications of last week’s General Election will be felt far and wide. Politically, the size and nature of the new Tory majority poses questions for all parties. Labour is in its worst position for more than 80 years, and the shock of its defeat appears to have affected the party’s ability to confront reality. [...]
DEBATE: Will the next election be about something other than Brexit? December 16, 2019 Will the next election be about something other than Brexit? John Oxley, a Conservative commentator, says YES. The Conservatives fought this election to effect Brexit. With a majority as strong as this, they will achieve that next month and not fight an election for five years — unless they sense victory in an earlier poll. [...]
Supermarkets should embrace the calls for higher plastic charges December 16, 2019 The battle against plastic rages on. Back in 2015 when the 5p charge was introduced, it seemed like a relatively big deal, but as the Greenpeace report made abundantly clear, it was just the start of a long fight. The report’s findings are stark — customers in Britain’s main supermarkets bought 1.5 billion bags for [...]
Restaurants can serve up lessons on why we should hire ex-offenders December 16, 2019 The hospitality sector is serving up more than Christmas parties this month. In the face of intense staffing challenges, employers in the industry can also serve up a lesson in how to effectively hire alternative talent. Restaurants, bars, and hotels are in the midst of the biggest skills shortage in decades — almost 80 per [...]