Memo to the City: Why tackling mental health issues makes good business sense March 31, 2016 One in four of us will suffer mental illness during our lifetime. It’s a shocking statistic that demonstrates the seriousness of this public health crisis. Treatment can be very effective, but sufferers need to be sure they will get the support and help they need. For this to happen, we need better coordination and engagement from government, [...]
London to face biggest changes from buy-to-let lending clampdown: As landlords brace for tougher mortgage checks, experts say investing in buy-to-let will be tougher in the capital March 29, 2016 Landlords are facing tougher rules on mortgage borrowing following an announcement from the Bank of England – and the biggest impact will felt in London, experts say. Buy-to-let has grown massively and now there are concerns about a “bubble emerging in this market,” Chancellor George Osborne said. The Bank believes overly indebted landlords pose a risk [...]
Zac Goldsmith, Sadiq Khan or Caroline Pidgeon: Why the next mayor of London will be the candidate who puts renters first March 29, 2016 “This election is a referendum on housing”, Sadiq Khan has claimed. He's right – no section of London society has been let down as badly as its legion of renters. There are problems across the full scale of renting, not least with the dearth of affordable housing. The capital’s private lettings market is outdated, fragmented [...]
Sky’s going big on virtual reality with VR studio and plans for Formula 1, boxing, cycling content and more March 17, 2016 Sky is deepening its efforts in virtual reality, an industry expected to be worth $70bn by 2020, with a specialist studio producing new content, including films from the Formula 1 racetrack. Viewers will be able to almost smell the petrol of the pit and experience the hair-raising bends of a Grand Prix track as if they [...]
Budget 2016: George Osborne’s speech in full March 16, 2016 George Osborne has just revealed the Budget for 2016. There was good news for businesses with corporation tax being sliced and business rates being reformed – but bad news for smokers and students who hate maths. Mr Deputy Speaker, Today I report on an economy set to grow faster than any other major advanced economy in [...]
Seven years of quantitative easing and 0.5 per cent interest rates by the Bank of England: Who are the winners and losers? March 3, 2016 This Saturday will mark seven years since the Bank of England enacted its historic quantitative easing programme, and cut the UK’s main interest rate to 0.5 per cent, in a bid to save it from the financial crisis which was then tearing across the globe. Just like any other policy, it has thrown up winners and losers. Investors who [...]
London risks taking its global status for granted if housing crisis carries on unabated and cost of living continues to rise March 2, 2016 It's awards season, and from the Oscars to the Grammys gongs are being handed out left, right and centre. It’s an opportune time, therefore, to reflect on the accolades bestowed recently on our capital city. London cleaned up last year, taking the top spot in a clutch of surveys including EY’s European Attractiveness Survey, MasterCard’s [...]
London’s housing market is failing the capital’s workers: We can’t make this crisis someone else’s problem March 1, 2016 With house prices a staggering 13 times the average London wage, and rents taking up on average 60 per cent of London tenants' incomes, the prospect of finding an affordable place to live is slipping further out of reach for many of the capital’s four million-strong workforce. As the housing crisis deepens, workers from across the [...]
Memo from business to politicians: Don’t let the EU referendum paralyse real governing February 24, 2016 So now it’s official. Britain’s politicians and opinion-formers will spend the next four months in hyper-drive, as they seek to convince the public of the case to leave or remain in the European Union. Many Westminster-watchers have already cleared the decks, reasoning that little else will get done while megaphone diplomacy, claims, and counter-claims dominate the [...]
London house prices: Londoners need a 266 per cent pay rise to be able to afford a property in the capital February 23, 2016 Londoners need a 266 per cent pay rise to be able to afford a mortgage on a home in the capital, a leading industry body has claimed, painting a bleak picture for prospective buyers. The National Housing Federation (NHF), which represents affordable housing providers, said the average London home now costs £526,085 – more than [...]