Covid connections: Pandemic narrows digital divide as more Brits go online April 28, 2021 While it may be hard to find silver linings in lockdown, it appears the rapid shift to online services has had its benefits. A surge in demand for internet services over the last year means the UK’s digital divide has narrowed even further, with more and more Brits getting connected. The proportion of homes without [...]
Britain’s top bosses call for ‘national prosperity’ plan to boost growth post-pandemic April 28, 2021 Some of the UK’s top business leaders have called on the Government to set out a plan to boost growth as the country deals with the devastating impact of the pandemic. The Covid Recovery Commission, a group set up by last summer which includes top executives from Tesco, Shell and Heathrow Airport , has set [...]
London only UK region to report drop in rent prices over last five years April 28, 2021 The capital is the only region in the UK where rents have fallen over the last five years as Londoners have left the city during the pandemic and fewer young professionals have moved for work. Asking rents in almost two thirds – 65 per cent – of London neighbourhoods are lower than they were five [...]
Prince Andrew sets up company with disgraced financier accused of sexual harassment April 27, 2021 Prince Andrew has set up a company with a disgraced former Coutts banker who quit after being accused of sexual harassment. The Duke of York has gone into business with Harry Keogh, a former banker at Coutts who resigned in March 2018 following a slew of sexual harassment claims, including that he inappropriately touched young [...]
Furlough cash: Businesses repay £760m as HMRC cracks down on fraudsters April 26, 2021 A total of 3,777 businesses have repaid over £760m in furlough grants to HMRC, according to new data shared with City A.M. this afternoon. Since the introduction of the furlough scheme in March 2020, £53.8bn has been claimed by employers as it protected over 11m employees, said accountancy firm UHY Hacker Young, who compiled the [...]
Opponents hit out at Khan over pledge to scrap higher Congestion Charge April 26, 2021 Sadiq Khan has pledged to attempt to scrap the “temporary” £15 congestion charge if he is reelected as Mayor of London in May, prompting a wave of criticism from his opponents. The Labour Mayor raised the charge from £11.50 last June in order to secure a government bailout for Transport for London (TfL) amid the [...]
Don’t be distracted by bunny hugging, we need to plug the green skills gap to reach bold climate targets April 24, 2021 Earlier this week, Boris Johnson announced a bold new target to slash the UK’s emissions by 78 per cent compared to 1990 levels by 2035. The government now needs show how it will turn this ambition into a reality, and doing so will require overcoming a serious challenge to this agenda: the green skills gap. The PM’s [...]
Top art and theatre to see as the London culture scene reopens April 23, 2021 With theatres allowed to reopen with sociual distancing from 17 May, and with restrictions lifted by 21 June, the London cultural scene is finally emerging from its Covid slumber. Here are 10 plays, galleries or institutions we can’t wait to visit. National Theatre The National Theatre reopens from 2 June with a production of After [...]
Balls to Britpop, Britbox and Britcoin! April 23, 2021 Monty Munford has had it with Britcoin. Oh, and he's still quite annoyed about Britpop and Britbox too...
Mike Lynch: Cass Business School’s new name is fitting tribute to information forefather Thomas Bayes April 23, 2021 It was encouraging to read the news Cass Business School has been renamed after the statistician Reverend Thomas Bayes who, unbeknownst to many of us, plays an important part in all our lives – including my own. Bayes deserves far more historical credit for the place he occupies among the forefathers of information theory. If [...]