Treasury Committee calls for economic modelling alongside Covid lockdown roadmap February 15, 2021 Westminster’s Treasury Select Committee has called for the government to release economic and epidemiological modelling on Covid restrictions when Boris Johnson unveils his roadmap out of the lockdown. Committee chair and Tory MP Mel Stride wants chancellor Rishi Sunak to produce the combined modelling, known as epi-macro modelling, to provide businesses the economic and social [...]
City’s gargantuan tax receipts should never be taken for granted in Whitehall February 15, 2021 By any standards, 2020 was an unprecedented year for businesses and households alike. The uncertainty around our future relationship with the EU and the long shadow cast by the COVID-19 pandemic posed challenges not seen since the second world war. Even with the vaccine rollout well underway, the road to recovery remains uncertain with significant [...]
Debate: Should AI become a regulated technology? February 15, 2021 It’s set to transform most aspects of our lives, but AI is still barely understood – and barely regulated. Is it time? Prasad Ramakrishnan, CIO of Freshworks says YES AI has always been important, but we’re moving from theory and setup to practice as we deliver practical and actionable recommendations – and that’s really exciting. [...]
The City View podcast, with IWG’s Mark Dixon February 14, 2021 City A.M. Acting Editor Andy Silvester is joined by IWG Plc boss Mark Dixon, who discusses the future of office working, cities, and even the terroir on his vineyard in the south of France. Andy’s also joined by Hargreaves Lansdown analyst and former BBC Business correspondent Susannah Streeter, looking at big results from the banks [...]
UK hits 15m vaccine target by 15 February deadline February 14, 2021 The UK has reached its target of immunising 15m people by 15 February, with Boris Johnson saying the four groups most vulnerable to Covid have all been offered the vaccine in England. The Prime Minister labelled it an “extraordinary feat”. “In England, I can tell you we have now offered jabs to everyone in the [...]
Tories see vaccine bounce to take five-point poll lead over Labour February 14, 2021 New polling has revealed a post-vaccine bounce for the government, with the Tories now leading Labour by five points. The Opinium poll has Boris Johnson’s Conservatives at 42 per cent and Sir Keir Starmer’s Labour on 37 per cent. The jump has coincided with the government’s rollout of the vaccine, which has been among the [...]
Neil Woodford apologises for mistakes as former star stockpicker prepares to launch comeback February 14, 2021 Neil Woodford, the scandal-hit investment manager, has apologised for his role in the failure of his flagship fund, as he prepared to launch his comeback. Woodford, whose business collapsed in October 2019, said he was “very sorry” for what he did wrong, but hit out at the actions of administrator Link Fund Solutions. The former [...]
Scotland to Northern Ireland underwater tunnel could be green lit next month February 14, 2021 An underwater tunnel connecting Great Britain and Northern Ireland could get the green light as early as next month. The tunnel, which could be dubbed Boris’ Burrow, would help ease post-Brexit tensions, after Boris Johnson’s withdrawal agreement created checks for some goods travelling between Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Network Rail chair Sir Peter Hendy [...]
UBS quits role in Darktrace listing over Mike Lynch links February 14, 2021 UBS has quit its role in the upcoming £4bn flotation of Darktrace, the UK tech firm, over its links to British entrepreneur Mike Lynch, who is facing fraud charges in the US. The Swiss bank has informed Darktrace that it can not work on the cybersecurity firm’s initial public offering (IPO), according to Sky News. [...]
Court papers detail Grant Thornton’s alleged errors in Patisserie Valerie audits February 14, 2021 FRP Advisory has reportedly filed legal documents detailing Grant Thornton’s alleged errors in its auditing of Patisserie Valerie after launching a £225m court claim against the professional services firm. FRP Advisory, liquidator to the cafe chain, said the auditor’s negligence meant Patisserie Valerie bosses were unaware the firm had run out of funds. It alleges [...]
