Peckham judged the world’s eleventh coolest neighbourhood September 18, 2019 “This time next year we’ll be in the top ten” Peckham has been named the world’s eleventh coolest neighbourhood in the 2019 Time Out Index. The south London hotspot may still be more globally famous for the antics of Del Boy and Rodney but a new generation of chefs, baristas and bartenders are turning it [...]
The special relationship should be celebrated September 6, 2019 Amid all the division and uncertainty of our current political challenges, one thing has remained constant: London’s standing as a beacon of international commerce. Money, people and ideas from all over the world continue to arrive and thrive in our capital city in much the same way as they have done so for hundreds of [...]
Brexit: What do the public think will happen next? September 5, 2019 No-deal Brexit is the most likely outcome from parliament’s current stalemate, according to the public. The UK is expected to crash out of the EU without a deal, 72 per cent of Brits believe, Yougov’s survey of 1,639 people found. The pollster asked people what outcomes they believe are most realistic, rather than what outcome [...]
Politicians must tread carefully on M&A intervention February 20, 2017 It is common in business and politics today to talk about "signals". Brexit is either a signal of our desire to cut ourselves off from the world, or a sign that we’re set to become a kind of expansionist high-seas merchant. From immigration to Donald Trump, foreign policy to international aid, perceptions are increasingly being [...]
Sadiq Khan’s successful pro-business campaign is heartening for us all – but the work is just beginning May 9, 2016 It is fair to say that relations between the Labour Party and business are in a slightly odd place at the minute. The nervousness is perhaps understandable, considering that both the leader and shadow chancellor of the party continue to describe themselves as socialists. In these interesting times – and to be fair to those [...]
#WomenInStem needs to be more than a well-meaning hashtag February 11, 2016 London’s innovation economy is firing on almost all cylinders; not for nothing is it regularly ranked at the top of league-tables like Nesta’s European Digital City Index. It is an almost unequivocal good news story, and one that we should be unashamedly proud of. Amidst these sunlit uplands though lies one particularly concerning dark cloud. [...]
The Trade Union Bill is welcome, but with a few changes it could be even better January 5, 2016 Despite the occasional headlines, industrial disputes at businesses are rare. Indeed, acceptance of slow wage growth by employees during the recession was one of the reasons the UK avoided the devastating job losses that have crippled many continental economies. But we again start the year with the threat of industrial action hanging over the UK. [...]
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is in the UK – it’s time to bring his students here, too November 12, 2015 To London’s crown as a global leader in finance and innovation, it appears we can add a further jewel. As anybody meandering around central London today can attest, we leave the rest of the world standing when it comes to welcoming foreign dignitaries. Other countries may have rolled out the red carpet for the visit [...]
Sunday trading: Liberalising retail laws is a win-win for staff, shoppers and business November 11, 2015 Yesterday saw – amidst what is best described as confusion – the Government enact a classic reverse ferret on plans to devolve the regulation of Sunday trading hours to Local Authorities, after members of the SNP joined Labour and some Tory dissenters in registering their opposition to the plans. It is deeply disappointing. It is, [...]
Impunity for cyber criminals simply isn’t good enough September 24, 2015 There’s a temptation to think that cyber-crime is just something that happens to other people. The titillating tale of Ashley Madison users’ names being leaked was all very exciting for a week (though spare a thought for the young journalists whose editors tasked them with rooting through the names hoping to find a Premiership footballer or [...]
