The City View: Euan Blair on why apprenticeships are key to unlocking talent August 14, 2020 Subscribe to The City View Podcast: Apple / Google / Spotify / RSS In this episode Christian is joined by Euan Blair, co-founder of tech firm Whitehat which matches apprentices with employers including Facebook, Morgan Stanley and other blue chip giants. Euan is on a mission to change the way people think about apprenticeships and to provide opportunities for disadvantaged young people [...]
Sadiq Khan pleads with PM to save struggling West End August 13, 2020 Sadiq Khan has called on Boris Johnson to rescue London’s West End as central London businesses struggle to rebound from the coronavirus crisis. Khan wrote to the Prime Minister today, after lobby group The New West End Company predicted that there would be a £5bn drop in retail sales for the district this year. The West [...]
Brits optimistic about returning to work despite safety concerns August 13, 2020 British workers are largely optimistic about returning to the office, though concerns remain over whether employers will put the right safety measures in place. Just under half of UK employees said they felt positive about going back to work, while less than one in five said they felt negative, according to a new survey. The [...]
Watches of Switzerland shares jump on strong post-lockdown recovery August 13, 2020 Shares in luxury retailer Watches of Switzerland jumped today after it said sales in June and July were up on the previous year following a steep plunge during the coronavirus lockdown. The high-end watch-seller said sales in June were positive and performance in July was up 7.4 per cent on the previous year. Its shares [...]
Coronavirus: Natwest to slash 500 jobs and shut London office August 12, 2020 Natwest today said it will cut at least 500 jobs across its retail business and shutter one of its London offices as it battles to cut costs during the Covid-19 crisis. The bank said it will carry out a voluntary redundancy plan affecting 550 roles in its branches and premier banking service. It will also [...]
In love with Amazon? It’s just a marriage of convenience August 11, 2020 And just becauseI call you upDon’t get me wrong, don’t think you’ve got it madeI’m not in love, no no, it’s because…. I’m sure you recognise those lyrics from the 1975 hit “I’m Not In Love” by 10cc — which was precisely 20 years before Amazon was launched onto an unsuspecting world. If only we’d [...]
London restaurants urge Sadiq Khan to drop congestion charge August 10, 2020 London’s restaurants and bars have called on Sadiq Khan to drop the congestion charge and encourage public transport use to boost visitor numbers following months of coronavirus lockdown. In a letter signed by top chefs and restaurateurs, including St John’s co-founder Trevor Gulliver, Angela Hartnett and D&D London’s David Loewi, the industry has urged Khan [...]
Government urged to pay £5bn of retailers’ rents after lockdown August 10, 2020 Retail, hospitality and leisure firms have urged the government to pay up to £5bn to cover a proportion of rents for struggling businesses to avoid further high street job losses. Trade bodies, including the British Property Federation (BPF), British Retail Consortium (BRC) and UK Hospitality, have called on the government to launch a Property Bounceback [...]
Sadiq Khan: Saving London’s shops and cafes is ‘urgent priority’ August 10, 2020 Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has said keeping London’s hospitality businesses and venues open should be an “urgent priority” during the pandemic, or the city risks a downturn it may not recover from. Speaking to City A.M., Khan responded to calls from hospitality businesses to lobby for more support as London gets back on its [...]
The City View: Nigel Wilson on why it’s essential to get people back into offices August 10, 2020 Subscribe to The City View Podcast: Apple / Google / Spotify / RSS In this episode Christian is joined by Nigel Wilson, chief executive of Legal and General, a City institution with more than £1 trillion of assets under management. Nigel talks about L&G’s long-term view and how its investments could shape our recovery and future economic growth, but he also reflects [...]