Travelling to work hits highest level since Covid began September 17, 2020 The proportion of people travelling to work hit its highest level since the coronavirus lockdown began last week as Britons’ gradual return to offices and workplaces continued. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said 62 per cent of people travelled to work in the week that ended on 13 September. It was the first time [...]
What anti-obesity measures and the National Food Strategy mean for businesses September 17, 2020 A number of studies suggest that people who are overweight or obese are at greater risk of serious illness, even death, as a result of Covid-19. In response, the UK government has set forth a raft of measures aimed at curbing obesity. The National Food Strategy’s first recommendations have also been submitted to government. Both target [...]
Covid-19 is not slowing climate change – businesses still have to do their bit September 17, 2020 Much has been made of the so-called global reset brought about by the pandemic, and many have subscribed to the Instagram-ready notion that the earth is healing due to lockdowns. This is despite the effect of Covid-19 on the environment being either negligible or harmful. For policy makers, the immediate and tangible threat to life [...]
Corporate Social Responsibility is over – but that is no bad thing September 17, 2020 I believe that Corporate Social Responsibility is over. That is not to say that CSR programmes do not deliver tremendous impact, many do. It is just that the impact is invariably nuanced for stakeholders. With today’s ever-growing trend of individualism, such nuance is ineffective. Businesses are under great stakeholder pressure to be more purposeful, to [...]
Alstom reduces offer for Bombardier rail unit by $350m September 16, 2020 French transport giant Alstom has announced that it will buy Canadian firm Bombardier’s rail business for $350m (£270m) less than previously indicated. The two companies signed a sale and purchase agreement today worth $8.4bn, with total proceeds from the deal expected to come in at $6.2bn. Back in August, Bombardier announced unexpected financial and performance [...]
Break international law ‘at our peril’, says City of London policy chief September 16, 2020 The City of London’s policy chair has warned the government that it must assure investors that the UK will not break international law over the current Brexit negotiations. Catherine McGuinness said that the alarm around the Internal Market Bill could prove problematic for future investment. Speaking to the PA news agency, she said that Northern [...]
The Hut Group raises £1.88bn in biggest London stock market listing since 2015 September 16, 2020 The Hut Group began trading on the London Stock Exchange this morning, raising £1.88bn in the largest UK initial public offering (IPO) since 2015. The Manchester-based online retail giant is valued at around £5.4bn following its stock market listing, which the firm said is the UK’s largest ever technology IPO. The Hut Group, which owns [...]
‘Sclerotic’ City of London Corporation needs reform, says new report September 15, 2020 The City of London Corporation is “complex and sclerotic” while the public view it as a “secretive boys’ club”, according to a long-awaited independent report into the governance of the powerful local authority. Robert Rogers, now Lord Lisvane and a former Clerk of the House of Commons, said in his report that the “slowness of [...]
EU plans two-year extension of London clearing access September 15, 2020 The European Union is set to tell banks they can continue accessing London’s vital financial infrastructure for 18 more months in an effort to avoid instability when the Brexit transition period finishes at the end of this year. The bloc’s Commission has proposed that lenders’ access to London clearing houses should stay as it is [...]
Gary Lineker takes 25 per cent pay cut as BBC promises reform September 15, 2020 Gary Lineker will take a 23 per cent pay cut as part of a fresh five-year deal to continue hosting Match of the Day. New figures published today showed the former England footballer remains the BBC’s best paid star, pulling in a salary of £1.75m. But the new contract, which will keep Lineker at the [...]