Bleak midwinter for the economy? It could be worse… December 19, 2024 The political and economy outlook for the UK may seem gloomy, but spare a thought for our European counterparts, says Tim Sarson It’s the last working week of 2024 for many of us. I’ll be switching off the laptop on Friday afternoon and packing up for what I hope is a restful Christmas break, give [...]
The class divide: Why social mobility is the missing piece in DEI December 19, 2024 Any DEI framework that’s focused on ethnicity but silent on the messy realities of social mobility risks letting down the very people it’s trying to champion, says Eliza Filby A couple of months ago I was running a workshop for trainees at an international law firm in the UK helping bright Gen Z recruits integrate [...]
Brexit hit to UK trade not as bad as first thought December 18, 2024 The negative impact Brexit had on UK trade may have been softened by big firms adapting to EU barriers, fresh research from a top London university has shown. A report from the Centre for Economic Performance, linked to the London School of Economics, found that “in the short run, aggregate trade proved moderately resilient” to [...]
Exclusive Neil Woodford interview: who he blames for his fund’s collapse December 17, 2024 In his first interview in years, former star manager Neil Woodford makes it clear where he believes the blame for his collapsed fund lies.
Payments regulator in Treasury crosshairs as firms revolt December 16, 2024 As the government hunts for ways to make Britain more competitive, the country's payments regulator has become caught in the crosshairs.
UK becomes first European nation to join CPTPP trade bloc December 14, 2024 Britain will become a member of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) on Sunday.
A requiem for UK equity capital markets December 14, 2024 London’s storied status as a global financial powerhouse is slipping away, and with every IPO that doesn’t materialise or company that decamps to the US, it becomes clearer that the City is in its death throes, says Owen Matthews As a former mid-cap ECM investment banker, I’ve watched with despair as the lights dim on [...]
Regulator set to limit card fees after Visa and Mastercard price hikes December 13, 2024 The UK’s payments regulator has confirmed plans to introduce price caps on card fees paid by British merchants when European consumers make online purchases, after Visa and Mastercard hiked prices post-Brexit. After proposing some restrictions a year ago, the Payment Systems Regulator (PSR) is moving ahead with a consultation to decide at what level they [...]
Free trade is the future for post-Brexit Britain December 13, 2024 As Britain joins CPTPP, we are finally realising the benefits of an independent trade policy made possible by Brexit, says Fred de Frossard This weekend, the United Kingdom’s membership of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) is finally activated. The UK will be the twelfth member to join, taking the trade area’s [...]
The best books of 2024: From Sally Rooney to Boris Johnson December 12, 2024 Okay, that headline is ever-so-slightly misleading – while many of the entries on this list are indeed among the best books of 2024, others earn their place by virtue of being emblematic of their time (Boris Unleashed), zeitgeist-capturing (Bad Girls of Ancient Greece) or simply so utterly bonkers we felt they earned a spot (The [...]