Builders urge government to target 30,000 new houses for elderly a year in pandemic recovery June 25, 2020 The three largest retirement home providers have warned Boris Johnson that Britain’s economic recovery from the coronavirus pandemic will be “running on empty” if he does not urgently build new houses for older people. The chief executives of McCarthy & Stone, Churchill Retirement, and Lifestory Group have written to the Prime Minister urging him to [...]
CBI urges government to extend business loans scheme June 25, 2020 The CBI has urged the government to extend the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS) until November, as part of a wave of proposals to keep businesses alive as the UK faces its worst recession on record. The business body, which represents around 190,000 UK companies, today called on the government to extend the deadline [...]
Guinness owner Diageo launches $100m fund to help pubs reopen June 24, 2020 Guinness owner Diageo has today announced a recovery fund to help pubs and bars reopen following the coronavirus lockdown. The drinks maker will provide $100m in funding through its “Raising the Bar” scheme to major hospitality centres, including London, Edinburgh, Dublin and Belfast. Hospitality has been one of the hardest-hit sectors as the pandemic forced [...]
Life after lockdown: Returning to the classroom won’t be straightforward for our vulnerable children June 24, 2020 2020 is not the year anyone expected. The coronavirus pandemic has upended the lives of millions: people have lost jobs, been furloughed or taken pay cuts, and purse strings have tightened as a result. The impact has been especially hard on this country’s disadvantaged families — in particular, children’s education. It is a challenge I [...]
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 [...]
Is entrepreneurship set to boom post-pandemic? June 23, 2020 Ronel Lehmann backs the next generation to find their own way in an increasingly confusing world When we’re growing up, we plan for a world that has changed by the time we arrive in it. This has always been a problem: how do you look ahead when the world is moving so fast? It’s never [...]
“Go back to basics”: valuations during COVID-19 June 23, 2020 Aswath Damodaran had some advice for the audience at the 73rd CFA Institute Annual Virtual Conference: don’t abandon valuation fundamentals during the coronavirus crisis. “It is precisely times like these that matter most,” said Damodaran, who is the Kerschner Family Chair Professor of Finance at the Stern School of Business at New York University. “You [...]
With some flexible thinking, the government can help SMEs reopen for business June 18, 2020 As shop doors opened once again this week and queues began to build, we caught a glimpse of what the coming months will be like for “non-essential” shops. Already, it is clear that while Brexit might mean Brexit, reopening certainly does not mean reopening for many businesses across the UK. As the next phase begins, [...]
Tiktok launches €13m educational platform as company increases presence in Europe June 18, 2020 Social media giant Tiktok has announced its entrance to the education market with the launch of a new learning platform in Europe, as the company seeks to bolster its presence outside the Chinese market. The Bytedance-owned firm today unveiled its #LearnOnTiktok platform, which will see the social media company partner with universities, experts and charities [...]
Businesses are cautiously optimistic as downturn in activity eases June 17, 2020 Signs of a turnaround in business activity has prompted UK firms to feel more optimistic about the outlook for the next few months. Natwest’s small business activity index shows small steps towards recovery. The index monitors output at private sector firms with between one and 49 employees in the services, construction and manufacturing industries. It [...]