Getting the wheels in motion to make London a safer city for cyclists November 19, 2018 The UK’s biggest road safety event is a timely reminder of the progress made in this life-saving area of work, particularly when it comes to the Square Mile’s streets. During Road Safety Week, the City of London Corporation’s planning and transportation committee will debate a five-year plan designed to build on recent progress. The plan has [...]
The hidden meanings behind the Q&A November 16, 2018 You've finished your presentation. You remembered to look at the audience, rather than at the massive screen behind you, so it actually seemed like a presentation rather than a modern corporate version of temple worship. You didn’t just read out the slide deck, so no one is wondering why you bothered with a presentation at [...]
The probate debate: How will you be affected by the changes to the unpopular death tax? November 15, 2018 While most of us will be familiar with – or at least have heard of – inheritance tax (IHT), probate fees are a little-known extra cost that many families are forced to confront when their loved ones pass away. Both IHT and probate fees are often referred to as the “death tax” – although the [...]
Fix the housing crisis and save the high street at the same time November 15, 2018 Two "crises" have dominated the headlines in the last year. The first is the pressure on housing, the challenges of the rental market, and the soaring cost of living, especially in big cities. The second is the so-called “death of the high street”, as shopping habits change and the retail sector struggles to keep up. [...]
Fairytale economics will not enchant markets November 14, 2018 In a remarkable break with the economic prudence of the past decade, policymakers in the west are taking their feet off the spending brakes. During the recent midterm elections in the US, President Trump hailed the continuing stream of positive economic data and Democrats’ warnings about the cost of tax cuts failed to cut through. Meanwhile the [...]
Time to shine a light on how the ticketing industry really works November 14, 2018 Have you ever sat at your computer waiting for event tickets to go on sale, only to find them sold out suspiciously quickly? Or have you ever had an extra ticket that you’ve wanted to transfer to someone or re-sell, but were stopped by restrictive technology or terms and conditions? It’s a common experience for [...]
Forget going solo: Why it pays to find a co-founder November 14, 2018 Britain has always worn its entrepreneurial spirit proudly on its sleeve. It was Adam Smith (not, in fact Napoleon) who coined the term “a nation of shopkeepers” to describe the British in The Wealth of Nations back in 1776. Today, calling us a nation of entrepreneurs is far more accurate. New research from Octopus reveals that [...]
The US midterms: Good for Democrats, but better for markets November 13, 2018 American politics is in a febrile state. Deep partisan divisions, heightened by Donald Trump’s controversial rhetoric and policies, have resulted in a historic year for midterm voter turn-out. Last Tuesday, voters on the left and right were spurred on by a conviction that the 2018 midterms were more important than any other in history. Politically, [...]
Take note of Ada Lovelace and the gender leadership gap November 13, 2018 Who was Ada Lovelace? She could soon be the face of the Bank of England’s new £50 note. Lovelace – the world’s first computer programmer and collaborator with the celebrated inventor Charles Babbage – is just one of the many women who have historically been under-recognised for their great achievements. The British public is keenly [...]
Is central bank independence even a thing? November 13, 2018 Parents often find it tough to let go of the control they have on their children’s lives, no matter how old they are. While children usually tend to wriggle out of these constraints, the constant jostling between two often opposing opinions is a worldwide phenomenon. And such is the relationship between the government and the [...]
