COP26 has been delayed, but the City’s charge against climate change continues July 6, 2020 Businesses and households across the world have been hit hard by Covid-19, but as we move to the next phase of recovery from the pandemic, it is vital that we keep the fight against climate change top of the agenda. That’s why last week, to mark London Climate Action Week, we announced a major summit [...]
‘Serious concerns’ raised over government’s export credit agency July 6, 2020 The government’s export credit agency could be “cutting corners” as it races to finance the post-coronavirus and post-Brexit trade drive, raising “serious concerns” about the UK’s future trading relations, according to a new report. A report released today by anti-corruption campaign group Spotlight on Corruption found that UK Export Finance (UKEF), the UK’s export credit [...]
Aviva CEO Maurice Tulloch steps down with immediate effect for ‘family health reasons’ July 6, 2020 Aviva chief executive Maurice Tulloch has stepped down from the role with immediate effect for “family health reasons”, the insurance giant said today. Non-executive director Amanda Blanc will take on the CEO role from today, Aviva said, after joining the board at the start of the year. She was previously CEO, EMEA & Global Banking [...]
Equality is a business imperative, so let’s close the ethnicity pay gap July 3, 2020 I am often asked how business leaders decide who is the best candidate for a team or an organisation. Of course, there’s no one reason or answer. It’s about understanding the relevance of skills you need and the context of the role you are hiring for. You might be looking to create energy and pace [...]
UK to negotiate financial services trade deal with Switzerland July 1, 2020 The UK and Switzerland have pledged to negotiate a financial services trade agreement to enable cross-border market access after the Brexit transition period ends. Chancellor Rishi Sunak and his Swiss counterpart Ueli Maurer last night said they wanted to reach an agreement that would enable cross-border market access for wholesale financial services relating to insurance, [...]
DEBATE: Did Boris Johnson’s ‘Build, build, build’ speech succeed in rebooting his premiership? June 30, 2020 Did Boris Johnson’s speech succeed in rebooting his premiership? John Oxley, a Conservative commentator, says YES. Boris is back in business. He has mastered his own recovery from coronavirus and is now ready to tackle the nation’s. It is a challenge he would have never expected when he entered Downing Street, and an important evolution [...]
World reserve currencies: Is the US Dollars’ days numbered? June 30, 2020 “Every dog has its day” is an expression believed to have come from 405 BC when a Greek playwright, Euripides, was mauled and killed by a pack of dogs. An analogy to this tale could be the US Dollar. Is the end nigh? Has the mighty Greenback ‘had its day’? Having been on the boards [...]
Business didn’t get us into this mess, but with the right reforms it can get us out of it June 24, 2020 Back in March, City A.M. announced that it was suspending its print edition — partly due to concern about the drop-off in advertising revenue, but mostly because it seemed futile to distribute newspapers around London when workers had been told to stay at home. Recently, this paper’s editor made the welcome announcement that its print [...]
The risks are elevated, but investors have faith UK financial services can weather the storm June 23, 2020 The mood music in Brussels has changed over the last few weeks — and the financial services sector is back in the spotlight. In recent negotiations, the EU explicitly challenged the notion that Britain will be able to “cherry-pick” the benefits of the Single Market and retain its strategic position in financial services post-Brexit. With [...]
Former chancellor Lord Alistair Darling backs Sunak’s VAT cut plans June 22, 2020 Former chancellor Lord Alistair Darling has backed government plans to cut VAT in a bid to boost the economy, adding that the coronavirus crisis will result in an “even more profound shock” to the UK than the 2008 financial crisis. In a foreword to a new Policy Exchange report, Darling expressed his support for current [...]