More than two thirds of all British businesses face an acute skills shortage resulting in trading hit or stalled growth June 29, 2022 More than three quarters of UK firms have said they are seeing trading hit or growth stalled amid intensifying skills shortages. The Open University’s annual Business Barometer report, which was conducted in partnership with the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) this year, found that more than two thirds (68%) of small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) [...]
Fast growing UK firms shelve IPO plans amid market turbulence June 29, 2022 Fast growing UK firms are shelving plans for initial public offerings in droves as a looming recession and inflationary pressures batter public markets, a survey has revealed.
Two parties, devoid of the hopeful political vision for the future we need June 29, 2022 One of the most repeated criticisms of our political landscape is the absence of any long term political vision. Survival over reflection, short term over long term, disparate issues over coherent vision. Our politics needs a radical refresh to shift away from chronic short termism and mediocrity to something much more compelling. We’ve all been [...]
Conservative ideology is in turmoil as they cling to online speech crackdowns June 29, 2022 A little known internet safety green paper was the genesis of the Online Safety Bill. It was initiated by the Cameron government and published five years ago, with a focus on a voluntary code of practice and transparency requirements for social media. This would have been a relatively incremental step, a collaborative approach to addressing [...]
£31bn boost for Global Britain as UK exports to Commonwealth markets hit highest level in 15 years June 28, 2022 Exactly one month away from the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, new analysis shows today that goods exports to the Commonwealth reached £31.6bn in the 12 months to April of this year, the largest respective period in over 15 years. It is larger than the amount of goods exported to other key nations like Germany (£30.1bn), [...]
Rees-Mogg says cutting taxes could reduce inflation in split with PM June 28, 2022 Jacob Rees-Mogg has said cutting taxes immediately may reduce inflation in comments that will put him in direct dispute with Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak. The Brexit minister today said getting inflation under control “doesn’t necessarily mean tax increases – indeed it could mean tax cuts”. Johnson and Sunak have both said the UK cannot cut [...]
Johnson’s plans for further steel tariffs are a black mark against Global Britain June 28, 2022 Boris Johnson has said he intends to extend tariffs on steel from China. This is a clear breach of WTO rules and, allegedly, was the final straw for his ethics adviser. But to Johnson this is the reasonable next step. He will also impose them on other countries, this time in line with rules from [...]
Government amends copyright law to make the UK an AI leader in a post-Brexit world June 28, 2022 The government has announced plans to shake-up copyright law to pave the way for the UK to become an artificial intelligence leader. Under the new rules, the government will make it easier to analyse material for the purposes of machine learning, research and innovation. It will also anyone with lawful access to this material should [...]
UK food standards under threat after years of Brexit chaos and Covid upheaval June 28, 2022 The UK is facing “significant risks” to its food standards following two years of upheaval, according to a new report. The Food Standards Agency (FSA) and Food Standards Scotland (FSS) released the first of what will be an annual report highlighting changes and challenges facing the UK’s food system. The two agencies said it comes [...]
ESG investing is worth billions and post-Brexit rules should give Britain a headstart June 28, 2022 The EU has been cast as one of the leaders in the ESG regulatory race. But Brexit could give London the agility and flexibility to eclipse the rest. In the last few years, ESG has taken centre stage. In 2021 alone, there was an estimated $120bn poured into sustainable investments – and with so much [...]