DEBATE: Should the long summer school holiday be shortened? August 1, 2019 Should the long summer school holiday be shortened? Jenny Afia, a privacy lawyer and partner at Schillings and member of the Children’s Commissioner’s Digital Task Force, says YES. One week into the summer holiday and I need a break, let alone my daughter. It’s argued that long holidays are needed so children can rest. But [...]
Here’s one simple tax trick that Boris Johnson could borrow from Donald Trump August 1, 2019 It’s been great to see the new government hit the ground running, and even better to see it focus on a hugely important idea which our think tank has been beating the drum for: incentivising business investment. Britain likes to think of itself as a business-friendly country. We have slashed corporation tax. We have a [...]
‘Techlash’ risks making us less secure, as we swipe right for the Wild West of apps August 1, 2019 It’s fair to say there’s been a lot in the news across the world recently. Between a new British Prime Minister, protests in Hong Kong and Russia, foreboding temperatures, and Marks & Spencer scrapping its free biscuit offering, things have been uncharacteristically busy for this usually sleepy time of year. As a result, I wouldn’t [...]
Boris Johnson must change his mind on Heathrow expansion – just like we did August 1, 2019 Boris Johnson has had a busy first week, jetting off around different parts of the country. But closer to his home seat of Uxbridge and South Ruislip, people in our constituencies in west London are hoping that the new Prime Minister will change his mind and listen when it comes to one controversial issue: his [...]
Cycling – a perfect blend of business and pleasure July 31, 2019 Every July, our TV screens are dominated by two major sporting events – the green grass of Wimbledon, and the men in lycra cycling across France for what is often regarded as the toughest sporting challenge in the world, the Tour de France. While even the most reluctant of fans is suddenly gripped by the [...]
A box office approach to leadership could yet break the Brexit deadlock July 31, 2019 A week into Hurricane Boris, and the impact of its arrival shows no signs of abating, nor does its box office appeal. Godfather style, a trail of bodies litter the Conservative backbenches, victims of the “Night of the Blond Knives” as one newspaper called it. The ancien regime has been largely replaced by Vote Leave [...]
DEBATE: Are the citizens’ convention on UK democracy proposals a good idea to restore faith in politics? July 31, 2019 Are the citizens’ convention on UK democracy proposals a good idea to restore faith in politics? Eliot Wilson, chief writer at Right Angles and a former House of Commons official, says YES. “Politics is broken.” That’s been the mantra for years now, at least since the expenses scandal of 2009. There has been a terrible [...]
What the mayor-turned-Prime-Minister can do for London July 31, 2019 Boris Johnson is the first Prime Minister to have served as mayor of London. He gets London: he knows what make our city a success and understands the challenges we face. And that’s why his premiership is a great opportunity for our city. With the right approach, Boris can help to fill the leadership vacuum [...]
A gender equality lesson for the new cabinet from the world of academia July 31, 2019 There has been much discussion on the gender and ethnic composition of Boris Johnson’s cabinet. The Channel 4 Fact Check site calculates that 33 MPs are entitled to attend cabinet. Of these, six – 18 per cent – are from an ethnic minority background. According to the 2011 Census, 14 per cent of the UK [...]
Female founders, here’s my advice for starting a business July 30, 2019 To any female founders reading this: your existence is statistically remarkable. Female tech founders are, simply put, unlikely. A report from the venture capital firm Atomico found that 93 per cent of money invested in European tech startups in 2018 went to all-male founding teams. Only seven per cent went to startups with a single [...]