Spare a thought for line managers in the world of hybrid working conditions September 10, 2020 As I left my bustling neighbourhood in West London recently, to commute to my office in the empty streets of central London, it became clear that a widespread return to office-based work in the UK is tentative to say the least. Britain’s employees are returning to their workplaces at a snail’s pace (just 34 per [...]
TheCityUK: Brexit provides an opportunity to evolve trade and migration policy September 9, 2020 As the UK readies for Brexit there is a unique opportunity to transform trade and migration policy, the leading City lobbying firm has said. In a joint report with EY, TheCityUK has set out proposals to evolve the UK’s decades-old trade and migration policy which could “deliver real benefits to the economy”. TheCityUK makes it [...]
New car sales fall in ‘disappointing’ August for market September 4, 2020 New car sales dropped again last month, reversing July’s increase, with just over 87,000 models sold in what is traditionally one of the quietest months for trading. According to new figures from the Society for Motor Manufacturers and Traders, new car sales fell 5.8 per cent in August. In July, the first full month of [...]
Boris Johnson confirms rail industry working on flexible season tickets September 2, 2020 Boris Johnson today said that the government was working with the rail industry on flexible season tickets to encourage commuters to return to the office. Speaking at Prime Minister’s Questions today, Johnson said: “We are working at pace with rail companies to try to deliver new products in terms of ticketing to ensure not just [...]
BP to sell London headquarters as work patterns shift August 30, 2020 BP is reportedly planning to sell its headquarters in central London, becoming the latest employer to signal a permanent shift in its working patterns. The oil giant employs 6,500 staff across its offices in the capital and in Sunbury-on-Thames in Surrey. It plans to rent back the building from the new owner for up to [...]
The City View: Richard Holt of Oxford Economics on the future of cities August 28, 2020 In this episode Christian is joined by Richard Holt, head of cities at the consultancy and research outfit Oxford Economics. Subscribe to The City View Podcast: Apple / Google / Spotify / RSS Richard explores the trends and changes underway in cities across the world and offers a view of where there may be winners and losers from the great Coronavirus shakeup. [...]
The City View: Adrienne Gormley of Dropbox on why hybrid working requires more than just new tech August 27, 2020 In this episode Christian talks to Adrienne Gormley, head of EMEA at Dropbox, about the opportunities and potential pitfalls of remote working. Subscribe to The City View Podcast: Apple / Google / Spotify / RSS Adrienne says that getting it right requires more than just having the right digital tools and that a new approach to management and company culture is necessary. Also [...]
Downing Street refuses to call for Londoners to go back to work August 24, 2020 Downing Street has refused to call for more people to return to their offices, despite increasing fears that decreased foot traffic in central London will cripple the economy. The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said today that it was up to individual employers to decide whether to bring back employees, while also refusing to say if [...]
Four-fifths of Londoners want to get back to the office August 23, 2020 More than four-fifths of Londoners want to get back to working from the office, the highest such proportion in the UK, City A.M. can reveal. According to new statistics from IT provider Atlas Cloud, residents of the capital are the keenest in the country to get back to office life, above an average of 74 [...]
Lotus Esprit S3 review: Driving the coolest Bond car August 22, 2020 We sample a classic Lotus Esprit S3, a wedge-shaped British supercar that shines despite its flaws. Did we mention James Bond drove one?