Mark Kleinman: British Steel, Freetrade’s Future and Investment Association grumbles February 23, 2023 I wasn’t wrong a few weeks ago when I wrote here that sorting out Britain’s financially troubled steel industry would ultimately be someone other than Grant Shapps’ mess to clean up. What I didn’t anticipate then was that just a month later Kemi Badenoch would become the fourth business secretary in six months given the [...]
The Square Mile and Me: Aon’s Dominic Christian on the Lamb, the Broker and the City’s green ambitions February 23, 2023 Every week we ask the great and good of the Square Mile to share their memories of the City – and their favourite pubs and restaurants. This week it’s Dominic Christian, Chair of Aon’s Global Reinsurance Solutions business and a City councilman First memory of the Square Mile Scary, surreal, fascinating. Suits everywhere. Everyone seemed [...]
Football regulator may help deliver long-term sustainability for beautiful game February 22, 2023 This paper of free markets and liberal economics may not, you might think, be in favour of a new regulator. But a new referee for the business side of the beautiful game is not one to be dismissed out of hand. In fact, it has plenty going for it. At first principles, the best results [...]
Our post-Brexit relationship cannot be left in the hands of ideologues February 22, 2023 Cast your mind back to Christmas 2020. As most of us settled into the sofa for a Christmas behind-closed-doors, shuttle diplomacy saw the UK finally secure a Brexit deal with the EU on the country’s future relationship with the trading bloc. Boris Johnson hailed it as “glad tidings of great joy.” To all the world [...]
The Notebook: John O’Connell on corporation tax, rail subsidies, and dangerous books February 21, 2023 The Notebook is where interesting people say interesting things. Today, it’s John O’Connell, the chief executive of the TaxPayers’ Alliance, who riffs on corporation tax, 4.99 per cent council tax hikes and the books that have a little more spice than they used to The economy is doing slightly better than expected. Which, to be [...]
Brewdog’s China deal shows the limits of ESG virtue-signalling February 21, 2023 O, what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to make commercial hay from a human rights campaign, as Walter Scott very nearly wrote. Brewdog are the latest example of a brand which has made much of its holier than thou culture – only to ditch it in full when the reward is [...]
Brexit: City’s top man says firms grew ‘complacent’ prior to split from EU February 21, 2023 The Lord Mayor has said British businesses got “complacent” prior to Brexit – and will now need to work harder to develop relationships across the world. In an interview with the Sydney Morning Herald ahead of a trip to Australia this week, Nicholas Lyons said there would need to be an “enormous step up from [...]
Brexit: Signs of progress suggest hope NI Protocol row could finally end February 11, 2023 The UK Government and the EU have reiterated their commitment to finding “joint solutions” to differences around the post-Brexit Northern Ireland Protocol. Foreign Secretary James Cleverly and Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris held a video call with European Commission vice president Maros Sefcovic on Friday. The protocol was agreed by the UK and EU in [...]
Best and brightest: Could international students be set for exemption from migration targets? February 11, 2023 The Education Secretary may challenge the Home Office’s plan to cut migration, arguing that the financial boost from international students to British universities was “hugely valuable”. Gillian Keegan said she is wanting to expand education export revenues from about £26bn to £35bn by 2030. Speaking with the Financial Times, Ms Keegan said the university sector [...]
Arm China lays off dozens of staff as restrictions hit demand February 11, 2023 SoftBank Group Corp’s chip technology firm Arm Ltd’s China joint venture laid off 90-95 employees last week to cope with a challenging business outlook this year, according to three sources familiar with the situation. The layoffs come as SoftBank tries to set up a public listing for Arm this year. The China market has been a major source [...]
