DEBATE: Should people be able to pay to get the Covid-19 vaccine privately? December 17, 2020 As the NHS rollout continues, should people be able to pay to get the Covid-19 vaccine privately? Kristian Niemietz, head of political economy at the Institute of Economic Affairs, says YES. The Covid vaccine is not a consumer good like any other, and it should not be allocated like one. It should, in the main, [...]
What was the point of ‘recapturing sovereignty’ only for the government to act like autocrats? December 17, 2020 There was much hand wringing in March as MPs lined up to pronounce that they were being compelled to support actions that “no government would want to take”, and that there seemed “no other option” but to rush out severe restrictions in the face of the pandemic. They may have been right. But the thing [...]
Combining technology with human ingenuity can level the workplace inclusion gap December 17, 2020 The pandemic has affected every person on the planet. It is one of those rare things that we all have in common, although each of us will have experienced it in a different way. One thing is certain: whatever may have been said at the start, Covid-19 has not been a great leveller. From age [...]
The City View: CMC Markets analyst Michael Hewson December 16, 2020 In the last City View podcast before Christmas, Andy Silvester talks to CMC Chief Market Analyst Michael Hewson as they look back on 2020 and dabble with predictions for 2021. Subscribe to The City View Podcast: Apple / Google / Spotify / RSS Michael looks at the possibility of a UK-EU trade deal, the prospects for the pound next year, the impact [...]
Google faces multi-state antitrust lawsuit for ‘anticompetitive conduct’ December 16, 2020 The Texas attorney general has announced he will file a multi state lawsuit against Google on behalf of a coalition of states. In a video posted on Twitter attorney general Ken Paxton said: ““The state of Texas is filing a multi state lawsuit against Google for anticompetitive conduct, exclusionary practices and deceptive misrepresentations. Google repeatedly [...]
Federal Reserve extends debt purchases to boost economy December 16, 2020 The Federal Reserve has announced plans to keep buying government debt in a bid to boost the faltering US economy. Since June the Fed has been buying $80bn in Treasury bonds and $40bn in mortgage bonds per month and today pledged to buy assets at least at that pace for the “coming months”. The new [...]
Boohoo exits 64 Leicester factories over code of conduct breaches following supplier scandal December 16, 2020 Boohoo terminated relationships with more than 60 Leicester suppliers following an investigation into working conditions at garment factories in the city. The fast fashion firm has exited 64 factories following a scandal that found some clothing suppliers in the city were paying workers less than minimum wage. Boohoo’s director of responsible sourcing and product operations [...]
Crossrail failed to carry out survey work on historic Soho venue despite ‘high risk’ to punters December 16, 2020 Crossrail failed to carry out survey work on a historic cellar bar in Soho despite receiving warnings from its own contractors that weak vaults posed a “high residual risk” to punters. The report, which was carried out in 2016 by consultants WSP and has been seen by City A.M., says that the vaults in the [...]
UK agrees post-Brexit customs agreement with US December 16, 2020 The UK has signed a customs agreement with the US, ensuring trade between the countries is not disrupted after the Brexit transition ends at the end of the month. The bilateral Customs Assistance Agreement will allow customs authorities to continue to cooperate, including sharing data, to tackle customs fraud. The agreement was signed by the [...]
Snakes and Ladders: Who is moving jobs in the City this week? December 16, 2020 Snakes and Ladders provides a roundup of the most important hires and job moves across the City
