With some flexible thinking, the government can help SMEs reopen for business June 18, 2020 As shop doors opened once again this week and queues began to build, we caught a glimpse of what the coming months will be like for “non-essential” shops. Already, it is clear that while Brexit might mean Brexit, reopening certainly does not mean reopening for many businesses across the UK. As the next phase begins, [...]
Crypto AM turns two years old today – One week, four anniversaries! June 18, 2020 Two years ago on the 18th June the first edition of Crypto AM was published in London’s City AM newspaper as a double page spread. With Crypto AM as a weekly feature, City AM became the only mainstream publisher to do this, thus providing an educational voice for the industry to share knowledge with the [...]
A new ‘superfund’ scheme for pensions June 18, 2020 Pensions minister Guy Opperman announces a significant step towards transforming retirement saving The consolidation of defined benefit pension schemes into “superfunds” has the potential to deliver more secure retirement incomes for workers, while allowing employers to concentrate on what they do best: running their businesses. That’s why I welcome the Pensions Regulator’s interim regime for [...]
Former Credit Suisse boss Tidjane Thiam and Emma Watson to join Kering board June 16, 2020 The former chief executive of Credit Suisse is to join the board of Gucci owner Kering, alongside actress Emma Watson and the president of ride-hailing giant Didi Chuxing. Tidjane Thiam, who left Credit Suisse in February amid a major spying scandal, will chair Kering’s audit committee. Thiam, who previously ran insurer Prudential, had said he [...]
APIs: the invisible wiring pivotal to digital transformation June 10, 2020 Unless you work in a technology-focused business, or are particularly technology-minded, it’s unlikely that you will have heard of ‘Application Programming Interfaces’ – or APIs. But as companies, and daily life, become increasingly technology-based – a trend accelerated by coronavirus – and APIs themselves evolve, they are becoming more important to business success. For an [...]
Why the businesses of the future are honing in on Cornwall June 10, 2020 Six months into a new decade, the working landscape has altered beyond recognition. Businesses around the world have adapted to remote working with a scale and ease beyond wildest expectations. “Working from home” has cast off any of the negative connotations attached to it, with workers in fields ranging from banking to surveying, media to [...]
EU must boost capital markets due to coronavirus and Brexit, say finance chiefs June 10, 2020 The European Union needs to deregulate its capital markets to help the economy recover from coronavirus and reduce its reliance on the City of London, according to a panel of industry executives. With huge amounts of debt being sold to counter the economic hit caused by Covid-19 and the bloc set to lose its major [...]
Is the government brave enough to let markets fix the social care crisis? June 9, 2020 We have all seen, with the direst of consequences, the deficiencies of the current social care system. As Covid-19 has raged through the UK, tens of thousands have died in under-resourced, under-invested, and ill-designed care homes. With the focus in those early weeks on protecting the NHS at all costs, central planners sent potentially infectious [...]
UK government announces £10bn trade credit insurance scheme June 4, 2020 The UK government has said it will guarantee up to £10bn of trade credit insurance transactions as it seeks to relieve some pressure on British manufacturers and construction firms amid the coronavirus pandemic. The new scheme will be temporary, backdated to 1 April and run until 31 December this year, the Department for Business, Energy [...]
Funding the Covid-19 recovery: Seize the opportunity to build a better tax system June 2, 2020 The suspension of huge parts of the economy coupled with an unprecedented package of government support measures mean that tax revenues are falling while public spending is surging. A leaked Treasury assessment estimated a £337bn budget deficit this year, nearly seven times the forecast in March’s budget. Analysts expect the debt-to-GDP ratio to be near [...]