Modern Monetary Theory: A shared delusion that will destroy the economy October 27, 2020 As Rishi Sunak announced another multi-billion-pound support package last week, most numerate people would have been boggling at the numbers. How are we ever going to pay all that money back? Surely it means years of austerity, high taxes, or debt for our children and grandchildren to repay? But there is a growing and increasingly [...]
The Ferrari Roma combines classic glamour with supercar performance October 26, 2020 It may be the most beautiful car on sale – and the driving experience lives up to the looks. Tim Pitt reviews the Ferrari Roma.
New: Mayor calls on Westminster to reconsider pavement charging plan October 23, 2020 The Mayor of London has called on Westminster City Council to reconsider “short-sighted” plans to charge hospitality businesses thousands of pounds in fees to continue trading outside. The Council is set to charge businesses £7 per square metre of outside space, per day, once the existing ‘al fresco’ scheme comes to an end on October [...]
Shaftesbury taps investors for £300m as pandemic batters West End October 22, 2020 West End landlord Shaftesbury will tap investors for £300m amid a sharp downturn in central London footfall during the coronavirus pandemic. The property firm announced today that it intends to raise around £297m through a discounted offer of new shares, with the potential to raise £307m dependent on investor appetite. Shaftesbury, which owns 16 acres [...]
The world needs a coordinated Covid policy — based on social realities, not just ‘the science’ October 20, 2020 The measures recommended by Victorian epidemiologist Dr John Snow to prevent cholera contain many that we’re now advocating today in response to Covid-19. Dr Snow advised better personal hygiene, checking the health of arrivals from abroad, and getting the homeless off the streets — all strategies taken by the UK government over the past few [...]
West End extends festive period in bid to win back shoppers October 16, 2020 The West End is set to extend the festive shopping season as ailing retailers look to lure Londoners back into shops. The Christmas lights switch-on will take place on Oxford Street and Bond Street on Monday 2 November and Thursday 12 November respectively, marking the earliest ever start to the festive season for the district. [...]
Covid is an opportunity to scrap business rates altogether October 16, 2020 No business can rightly complain about paying a reasonable amount of tax on profits it earns. Taxes on turnover, such as VAT and stamp duty, are less justifiable, as they are a tax on transactions. In these straitened times such taxes should be cut. But by far the worst kind of tax is property tax, [...]
London lockdown: Will the City’s small businesses survive new restrictions? October 15, 2020 Small firms in the City of London have spent the summer in lockdown trying to survive and adapt to the government’s coronavirus regulations. Pubs, shoe repair shops, barbers, dry cleaners and cafes have battled to survive the initial forced closure during lockdown, followed by a sharp decline in City footfall as most office workers remained [...]
Franco Manca owner Fulham Shore spots expansion opportunities in coronavirus chaos October 15, 2020 Fulham Shore, the owner of restaurant chains Franco Manca and The Real Greek, is eyeing expansion due to the low rents and empty venues caused by the coronavirus pandemic. The firm said this morning that “the future looks promising” as more sites become available and with rents “likely to be falling for the next few [...]
Cornish Lithium fundraise smashes £4m as Poldark spirit lives on October 13, 2020 A new lithium project in the south-west has attracted more than £4m in investment over the last 24 hours, smashing its target of a £1.5m raise. Cornish Lithium opened up to pre-registered investors yesterday and nearly doubled its original target within three hours. The firm, which is based near Redruth in England’s westernmost county, then [...]