UK borrowing falls ahead of spring Budget January 22, 2020 The UK government borrowed less than expected in December, official data has shown, as chancellor Sajid Javid prepares to boost spending in his March Budget. Borrowing in December was £4.8bn, less than expected and down £0.2bn compared to the same month a year earlier, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said. Yet for the financial [...]
Reinvigorating the regions is crucial for the whole of our country January 10, 2020 The Prime Minister had victory to savour on holiday in Mustique, and when he returned foreign policy was very much top of the agenda, with the escalating tensions between Iran and the US. But if Boris Johnson is to remain in power for a decade, he must not take his eye off the ball domestically [...]
Former Ofcom boss to advise on Heathrow terminal monopoly probe December 5, 2019 A firm set up by the former boss of Ofcom has been appointed to advise the aviation regulator on whether Heathrow’s terminals could be operated by third-parties. The Civil Aviation Authority has selected Flint Global, which was set up by former Ofcom chief executive Ed Richards, to look into the possibility of allowing other companies [...]
Winning the global race: Britain needs social enterprises to help business rediscover its purpose October 24, 2019 What seemed like a lifetime ago, former Prime Minister David Cameron used to talk about the “global race”. When he spoke about getting fit for this race, his argument was that the state needed to shed a few pounds in order to free up businesses to drive growth. Like most politicians at the time, he [...]
German think tanks once again slash growth forecast October 2, 2019 A group of top German think tanks today slashed their growth forecasts for the European powerhouse and warned that a disorderly Brexit could knock 0.4 per cent off the country’s GDP. Read more: Eurozone manufacturing sector suffers worst month in seven years The economy is now predicted to grow by just 0.5 per cent in [...]
Sajid Javid’s spending plans raise eyebrows at think tanks and business bodies September 4, 2019 Chancellor Sajid Javid today announced he would “turn the page on austerity” with the biggest increase in government spending for 15 years. Read more: Sajid Javid proclaims the ‘end of austerity’ in spending round In his first major announcement after taking the helm of the UK economy, Javid turned his back on the approach of [...]
The next dimension – bringing 3D advertising graphics to the masses September 2, 2019 What’s the most visually stunning advert you can think of? Perhaps it’s one of the John Lewis Christmas campaigns, or maybe it’s an ad by Apple or Samsung that shows their phones in incredible detail as they float across the screen. Whatever you imagined, it was likely made using computer-generated imagery (CGI), or other 3D [...]
Forget glitzy vanity projects like HS2, here’s what we could do instead August 28, 2019 Until recently, Crossrail was cited as an example of that miraculous phenomenon: a government infrastructure project running on time and on budget. We now know that Crossrail has run off track; it is £3bn over its 2010 budget, and will open more than two years late. The much maligned HS2 project came with none of [...]
Why Boris Johnson could be the man to unlock the potential of the Northern Powerhouse August 9, 2019 If I asked you to think of a politician who could rebalance the economy and reinvigorate the north, Boris Johnson probably isn’t the first who springs to mind. With his Eton schooling and eight-year tenure as mayor of London, Boris is very much the stereotypical southern Englishman. You’re much more likely to conjure up Andy [...]
Matalan warns on margins after ‘tough’ May July 8, 2019 Matalan warned today that poor spring weather would dampen its second quarter results after the retailer was forced to slash prices. The budget fashion brand said May was one of the toughest months “in a number of years”, after unseasonable weather lead to earlier discounting. Read more: Matalan boosts revenue despite tough retail climate Total revenue [...]