Debate: Could financial services firms be better off basing themselves outside of London? April 9, 2019 Could financial services firms be better off basing themselves outside of the capital? Yes – Andy Mielczarek is chief executive at Chetwood Financial. Being based outside of London has such a raft of incentives that it seems like a no-brainer to set up outside of the capital. The overwhelming difference is operating costs. As we’re [...]
Debate: Is Sadiq Khan’s new ultra-low emission zone an effective solution for tackling air pollution? April 9, 2019 Debate: Is Sadiq Khan’s new ultra-low emission zone an effective solution for tackling air pollution? Yes – Fiona Howarth is chief executive of Octopus Electric Vehicles. If London’s water supplies were poisoning 9,000 people a year, there would be national outrage. So why are we not outraged about the air that we breathe? Research published [...]
Brexit hoped to heal the UK, but instead it leaves wounds that will not easily be closed April 9, 2019 The other day, my three-year-old son gave me a geography lesson. Him: “This is Battersea Park.” Me: “That’s right.” Him: “And Battersea Park is in London?” Me: “Yes, and we’re also in England and in Britain.” At which point he shook his head. “No,” he insisted. “Just London.” Political analysis obviously runs in the family. [...]
What a scoop: Ben and Jerry’s will offer free ice cream to Londoners tomorrow April 8, 2019 Ice cream lovers will get themselves a free scoop, or two or three, tomorrow as Ben and Jerry’s annual free cone day celebrations return to the capital. City of London office workers and dwellers, will need to head to Soho – the closest Ben and Jerry’s store to the square mile. Read more: Olive Oil ice [...]
Battle of the brands: Addison Lee tops list of most London-centric brands April 8, 2019 Taxi firms, shopping centres and local radio stations are among the brands which are most well known only to those living in the capital, a new study has found. Addison Lee topped Yougov's index of the most London-centric brands, with 83 per cent of Londoners knowing about the taxi hire firm compared with 29 per [...]
Chilango, burrito bonds, and London – the boss of the Mexican food chain talks about the virtues of crowdfunding April 8, 2019 After interviewing Eric Partaker, the co-founder of burrito chain Chilango, he says I should try the food at his elaborately decorated restaurant on Cannon Street. I ask what he recommends, and instead of picking from the regular menu, he suggests I sample the “Noah’s Ark” – a lunch box containing all the meat options. A [...]
Sadiq Khan’s ill-conceived pollution plan only threatens London’s push to go green April 8, 2019 From today, all private hire drivers in London will have to pay the daily £11.50 congestion charge when driving in central London. This is an enormous financial burden for some of the city’s lower paid workers – costing nearly £3,000 a year for a driver earning around £25,000. It's also hugely unfair for operators, many [...]
FTSE 100 ends week strong with biggest gain in two months April 6, 2019 The FTSE 100 ended the week strongly as it gained 0.61 per cent during Friday's session and saw its biggest weekly increase for two months. The index continued its six-month high, outshining its European peers despite the on-going Brexit saga. Optimism grew early on as US President Donald Trump said a deal to end the US-China [...]
Millions set for pay rise as tax thresholds and minimum wages increase April 6, 2019 More than two million people are set for a pay rise as the national living wage and minimum wage thresholds increase, the Treasury has claimed. The national living wage is increasing from £7.83 to £8.21, which equates to around £690 per year and will affect 1.8m people. Read more: Osborne tax breaks for multinational firms [...]
Revealed: The best places to watch the 2019 Boat Race April 5, 2019 The annual Boat Race between Oxford and Cambridge will take place this Sunday in southwest London. The race, which has been held annually since 1856 excluding the war years, is expected to draw a crowd of at least 250,000 people. The women's race will start at 2:13pm and the men's race will start at 3:10pm, [...]