Navigating the UK’s economic recovery – a sector analysis September 4, 2020 We are living through extraordinary economic times. There is no hiding from the fact that this is a deep recession, and one that provides ample risk for investors. Recent GDP figures paint a gloomy picture and suggest that it will take some time for the economy to fully heal from Covid-19. The good news is [...]
Covid-19 does not prove the case for Scottish independence — if anything it does the opposite September 4, 2020 Scotland has had a “good” pandemic. Nicola Sturgeon has excelled. The incompetence of the government south of the border proves once and for all that an independent Scotland would flourish. Or so the Scottish Nationalists will tell you. And it seems to be working. While Boris Johnson was hospitalised and convalescing after his own brush [...]
UK is world’s fifth largest exporter of tech services September 3, 2020 The number of tech exports from the UK have surged in the past year, making it one of the world’s largest exporter of technology services. Last year UK exports of technology services grew to £23.3bn, sitting behind just India, the US, China and Germany in the global rankings. Tech Nation’s ‘Unlocking Global Tech’ report published [...]
Shooting for the stars: The case for a CANZUK space agency September 3, 2020 The British government knows three things for certain about space. It’s big. It’s cold. It’s expensive. For a small country, the scale of the challenge is daunting — and lonely. Not long ago, the United Kingdom had access to the joint space initiatives of the European Union such as the Galileo program, a global navigation [...]
It’s time for the UK to set its financial services sector up for success September 3, 2020 With the Brexit transition period drawing to a close, the United Kingdom has a unique opportunity for legislative and regulatory reform. For our financial services sector, the Treasury’s review of the regulatory framework presents a fantastic chance to set the UK up for another decade of global leadership, in an international market that is fast-changing [...]
Coronavirus: Is the pandemic the final nail in the coffin for property funds? September 2, 2020 As the economy starts to reopen after lockdown, the commercial property sector is looking to bounce back from what has been a difficult year. But the vast majority of the UK’s open-ended property funds remain suspended after they were closed as the coronavirus outbreak took hold. And a recent consultation from the Financial Conduct Authority [...]
Facebook and Twitter take down Russia-backed accounts September 2, 2020 Facebook and Twitter have taken down a small network of accounts that were backed by a Russian influence operation, linked to interference in the 2016 US election. Facebook said the accounts were linked to Russia’s Internet Research Agency (IRA), which is close to the Russian government and accused of interfering in the 2016 US election. [...]
FTSE 100 slides as pound surges but US stocks continue to rise September 1, 2020 The FTSE 100 slumped as the pound soared, but the relentless rise of the big US tech companies continued on a choppy day’s trading. London’s blue-chip stock index slid 1.8 per cent to stand at 5,859 points in afternoon trading. The FTSE 250 index of mid-cap firms shed one per cent. Read more: Asian markets [...]
Tony Abbott confirms he is in talks for top UK trade role September 1, 2020 Former Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott has said he is in talks with the UK government about taking up a role as one of Britain’s top trade advisers, confirming one of Westminster’s worst kept secrets. Abbott told Westminster’s Foreign Affairs Committee today he had “had some discussions with members of the British government” and was [...]
Tony Abbott: UK-Australia freedom of movement could begin on 1 January September 1, 2020 Former Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott has said there could be freedom of movement between Britain and Australia from next year as the two countries look to strike a free trade agreement. Abbott, who is tipped to become Britain’s joint president of the Board of Trade, told a virtual event today that a UK-Australia trade [...]