Whisky casks the new alternative asset class getting investors excited June 28, 2021 Wine, art, now even non-fungible tokens – the list of alternative asset classes is as varied as it is long. But whisky casks are making their arrival at the heart of the market, with the Knight Frank Luxury Index suggesting their values had shot up 534 per cent over a ten-year period. And firms are [...]
“Some firms don’t get it” – Sir Nigel Knowles on innovation in the legal sector, staying ahead of global competitors & the UK’s competitive advantage June 28, 2021 What Sir Nigel Knowles doesn’t know about legal and business services probably isn’t worth knowing. After a glittering 38-year career at DLA Piper, he is now CEO at London-listed DWF Group. He took the job in May 2020, after three years as Chair. Since then, the firm’s share price has risen around 30 per cent, [...]
FCA boss vows transformation after MPs slam historic ‘culture’ failings over mini-bond collapse June 24, 2021 The Financial Conduct Authority said it was embarking on a “wide-ranging transformation programme” after MPs lambasted it for historic failings relating to the collapse of London Capital & Finance (LCF). A report from the influential Treasury Select Committee of MPs said that a change in the FCA’s “culture” was required to protect consumers from a [...]
There are staycations – and then there’s the Savoy June 21, 2021 Tribal rivalries run strong in London, as we all know. Proper south Londoners don’t go north of the river unless under duress; east Londoners think west London is just the bit you have to fight through to get to Heathrow. But if lockdown has taught us one thing, it’s that no matter how buzzing, lively [...]
Post-Brexit UK should judge financial services climate against New York and Singapore, says City minister June 21, 2021 City minister John Glen this morning said the future regulatory environment for UK financial services should be judged against New York and Singapore. Glen, speaking at The City Week conference, hinted that global growth meant competition with non-European hubs would be a driving force behind regulatory decision-making, rather than focussing on any potential equivalence deal [...]
Blair think-tank: Work from home revolution could see millions of white collar jobs outsourced June 21, 2021 The relative success of pandemic-era working from home could result in as many as 6m white-collar jobs being moved overseas, Tony Blair’s think-tank has warned this morning. The last year has loosened the geographical ties of work, argues a new report from the think-tank, that makes it possible “anywhere jobs” could be done overseas. Read [...]
Ofcom flooded with GB News complaints amid advertising boycott June 17, 2021 Ofcom has been hit with a flood of complaints over GB News’ opening night, piling pressure on the channel amid an advertising boycott. The media watchdog received 373 complaints about a programme hosted by Dan Wootton on Sunday night. During a monologue in his inaugural show, the former Sun executive editor railed against Covid lockdowns, [...]
Exclusive: British Business Bank could target future support towards Covid-battered sectors June 17, 2021 The head of the British Business Bank has intimated that their future loan support could be targeted on parts of the economy which have seen the biggest hit from the Covid-19 pandemic. The Bank has played a key role in the economic response to the pandemic, expanding its balance sheet from £8bn-worth of loans to [...]
Equity investment in small UK businesses increases to £8.8bn in 2020 despite Covid-disruption and Brexit June 16, 2021 Equity investment into smaller UK businesses grew by 9 per cent last year despite the combined headwinds of Covid-19 and the UK’s departure from the European Union. The total of £8.8bn is the highest recorded since the British Business Bank started tracking the data ten years ago. The Bank also revealed that it had supported [...]
Wanted Down Under: UK signs Australia free-trade deal June 15, 2021 The UK and Australia have struck a trade deal that will see a gradual wind-down of tariffs between the two countries and opens up new work visas for youngsters. PM Boris Johnson and his Aussie equivalent Scott Morrison sealed the deal over a Downing street dinner of Scottish smoked salmon and Welsh lamb last night. [...]
