Cazoo’s travails show New York is far from a panacea for UK firms September 21, 2023 But Cazoo’s troubles shouldn’t blind us to the need to get cracking with long-discussed reforms to London’s listed markets.
The debanking debacle deserves proper parliamentary scrutiny September 20, 2023 There were some, when Nigel Farage was debanked by Coutts, who found the whole thing rather amusing. Those people, typically, were no fans of the Brexiteer-in-chief; how they chortled when the BBC broke the news that Farage was taken off the books as a result of his finances. Of course we know now that was [...]
Net zero push will put UK energy infrastructure in Chinese hands September 19, 2023 Net zero targets will put China at the heart of the UK's energy infrastructure - and that doesn't strike us as smart
Basic competence a first step – then Tories can afford ideology September 18, 2023 Liz Truss has been accused of many things over the past year, but nobody could level any accusations about her willingness to front up. Many politicians would have retired, tail very much between legs, to the outer reaches of our public life and sought the quiet life. Not Truss, who today will reassert her position [...]
Looney’s successor must also strike a balance on the green agenda September 14, 2023 There must be something in the water. After Dame Alison Rose’s avoidable exit, now we have Bernard Looney’s. Whilst the details of the former are rather clearer than the latter, it does appear that the Irish exec would still be at the head of the oil major today if he’d been more open with the [...]
It’s time to put the humble job at the heart of political debate September 13, 2023 What’s a job, at the end of the day? That was the question posed at length last evening at the launch of the new Jobs Foundation, a charity which wants (as the name implies) rather more of them. It’s the 9-5, sure, but it’s more than that: security, stability, the ticket to a better life. [...]
A remarkable effort to turn grim tragedy into something positive September 12, 2023 More than two decades on, the sheer visceral terror of the September 11 attacks continues to linger. Few working in the City then, in a world of global finance, did not know someone caught up by the assault on New York in some way. In the world before immediate smartphone communication, those were anxious days [...]
A Stoke Newington gelato serves up a reminder that immigration makes London tick September 6, 2023 An 8pm queue for a Stoke Newington gelato joint may not be an obvious starting point for a column about the City’s competitiveness, but start there we will. Every evening, especially in this welcome burst of long-overdue sunshine, there is a line at least 10-or-so outside of Romeo & Giulietta. Amongst the families bribing small [...]
To win back business, Sunak should tear up his current playbook August 31, 2023 Business and politics, politics and business. Dance partners, perhaps, but all too often to different tunes: whilst the private sector rips off a salsa the public sector can feel a lot more comfortable with a more staid two-step. Right now, however, it’s hard to get the two on the same floor, let alone dancing in [...]
Nutrient neutrality tweaks look a rare example of sound policy August 30, 2023 Nutrient neutrality. It’s fair to say they might not be the two sexiest words to have ever moved a stock market but yesterday they most certainly did, with housebuilders flying on the news the government was set to ease the paperwork surrounding new housing developments. In short, current rules mean that in a full 62 [...]