We should mourn the immeasurable social and economic damage lockdown has inflicted on this country July 1, 2020 I knew it was coming. The torrent of media coverage looking back on 100 days of lockdown like a grossly nostalgic showreel. Carefully crafted articles painting a picture of British resilience and togetherness, celebrating the nation’s bravery and enjoyment of the simple things. I regret to inform you that I will not be spending my [...]
City of London Corporation criticised for awarding above-inflation pay rises during coronavirus crisis June 30, 2020 A London think tank has slammed the City of London Corporation for giving staff a pay rise above inflation levels during the coronavirus crisis. The Corporation recently confirmed that all its staff would receive a 2.25 per cent yearly pay rise from 2020 to 2023 as well as an additional 5 per cent annual increase [...]
Forecasting the Post-Coronavirus World June 30, 2020 As we move past what we hope is the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the focus of investors is shifting from the immediate economic damage to the way out of lockdown and on to a new normal. Since this is an unprecedented crisis, the forecasts of what the world will look like in the next [...]
Reach 4 Entertainment triples profits ahead of ‘significant’ coronavirus impact June 29, 2020 Theatre marketing firm Reach 4 Entertainment (R4E) tripled its profits in 2019, as the group posted strong annual results ahead of the coronavirus crisis, which it expects will have a “significant impact” on the live entertainment industry. The results R4E posted full-year revenues of £135.4m for 2019, up from £76.7m last year. Adjusted earnings before [...]
Why Fintech investing will become more attractive post COVID-19 June 29, 2020 With the global economy predicted to fall, valuations in Fintech companies will be hit hard, too. This will provide investors unique opportunities to invest into those Fintech firms at attractive valuations, which will shape the future of financial services. Fintech investments so far this year: The impact of COVID-19 and the speed of its disruption [...]
The office is about to be transformed, not eliminated June 25, 2020 Are we seeing the demise of the office? Since lockdown measures spurred a working from home revolution in March, many commentators have predicted that this trend is here to stay. But offices are more than bricks and mortar. They play a vital role in forming the very ethos of a business and help shape the [...]
Sadiq Khan is wrong — extending the furlough scheme would hinder London’s recovery, not help it June 25, 2020 Warning of a “looming unemployment crisis”, Sadiq Khan this week made an appeal for a further extension of the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS), under which more than a million Londoners have been furloughed. His concern for London jobs is understandable. But it would be wrong to continue the scheme beyond October. Furloughing made sense [...]
Government mulls financial support for UK’s ailing theatres June 24, 2020 The UK government is in talks to support the performing arts industry, Downing Street confirmed today, amid growing concerns the sector is nearing collapse as a result of the coronavirus crisis. Number 10 today said it was working with senior figures from the theatre industry on a rescue package, as the Prime Minister’s announcement yesterday [...]
The Future of the Staking Economy June 24, 2020 Satoshi Nakamoto’s Bitcoin whitepaper emerged from the global financial crisis of 2008. In early 2009, the Bitcoin network launched with a headline in the genesis block: “Chancellor on brink of second bailout for banks”. The motivations of the project were clear. With the frailty of our financial systems exposed, the quest to create an alternative, [...]
IMF: Global economy facing $12 trillion hit from coronavirus June 24, 2020 The coronavirus pandemic will trigger the biggest hit to global growth since the Great Depression and cost the global economy an estimated $12 trillion (£9.6 trillion), the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said today. The virus is causing wider and deeper damage to the global economy than first thought, the organisation said as it slashed its [...]