DEBATE: Can technology actually be good for our mental health? October 11, 2019 Can technology actually be good for our mental health? Dr Nick Taylor, clinical phycologist and co-founder of Unmind, says YES. Mental ill-health costs the UK economy between £74bn and £99bn each year. Currently, there is insufficient care and resources readily available to people when they need it most. Technology provides an accessible, scalable means for [...]
The draconian nanny state has no right to stop you eating a sandwich on a bus October 11, 2019 It’s not a crime to eat a sandwich on a bus. It should not be a crime to eat a sandwich on a bus. To propose that sandwich-eating on a bus is an issue to be tackled, a problem to be solved, a danger to the children, is somewhere on the spectrum between hysterical and [...]
Worried about the skills shortage in London? Look to devolution October 11, 2019 Apprenticeships are powerful examples of how boroughs and businesses can work together to create meaningful work and training opportunities for Londoners. Yet, the research that we at London Councils and London Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) are launching today shows that the system is failing London and needs reform. Since 2017, the apprenticeship levy [...]
Businesses can do more to tackle disabilities like blindness October 11, 2019 Lately it has become fashionable to talk about the contribution of companies to society. However, in the daily routine of spreadsheets, email, and video-conferences, the “why we do this” message can get lost. It is humbling therefore to confront that most vivid of human needs – the need for eyesight – and witness the potential [...]
It’s the end of the world as we know it… do we feel fine? October 10, 2019 No-one who lives in London would be able to miss at least some news content about the Extinction Rebellion demonstrations in the capital this week. Seemingly the protestors have been everywhere: on Monday, they blocked Westminster Bridge and barricaded one end of Whitehall with a hearse, and on Tuesday they glued themselves to the Department [...]
Kim Kardashian and Sheryl Sandberg aren’t the only models of female business success October 10, 2019 Today is the 116th anniversary of the Women’s Social and Political Union in the UK – the organisation that secured universal suffrage in the UK. It is an inspiring date. Today, women do experience greater parity with men than ever before. However, all over the world, patriarchal cultures still restrict women’s ability to be successful [...]
Order, order: The race is on to replace John Bercow October 10, 2019 The departure of John Bercow from the speakership of the House of Commons will create a vacancy of huge importance. Yesterday, nine hopefuls vied with each other for the honour of replacing him, answering journalists’ questions on everything from the impartiality of the role, to Westminster’s alleged drug problem, to the rules on breast-feeding in [...]
DEBATE: Last year’s winter fuel allowance for pensioners cost almost £2bn – should the benefit be means-tested? October 10, 2019 Last year’s winter fuel allowance for pensioners cost almost £2bn – should the benefit be means-tested? Imogen Farhan, a researcher at the independent think tank Reform, says YES. It is vital that those struggling to heat their homes receive support, but handing out cash to wealthy pensioners is a waste of taxpayers’ money. Age alone [...]
Despite the doom and gloom narrative, female entrepreneurship is on the rise October 10, 2019 The number of female entrepreneurs is on the rise, and their share of investment funding is increasing. It’s not a line you read very often, but it’s something we need to celebrate louder, because the perception can sometimes be anything but. Often, we hear about the challenges facing women, but little about their successes. In [...]
The US-China trade spat is a proxy war in a much bigger battle October 10, 2019 Make no mistake, the trade war is real. But it is being used as a proxy by China and the US to fight a bigger battle: one that transcends orthodox definitions of hard and soft power to incorporate “sharp” power – influence over finance, information, ideas, even thought and behaviours. It is a fight for [...]