Automation is evolution, not a class war January 26, 2018 I suffer the great misfortune of living near a busy Tesco Express store, which, absent of self-service checkouts, often makes the innocuous task of buying eggs feel like a test of one’s self-restraint. While waiting for the two portraits of human inefficiency behind the till to serve 20 shoppers, glancing at my phone, I read [...]
The digital nomads: How to pack a suitcase and start a new life working from abroad January 25, 2018 Who among us hasn’t dreamed of jacking in their day job to trade forex from a laptop in Malibu or open a beach bar in Thailand? You might have read The 4-Hour Work Week by Tim Ferriss and asked why you haven’t yet “escaped the nine-to-five to live anywhere and join the new rich”. I [...]
It’s time for London to look beyond Brexit and focus on a decade of Asian engagement | City A.M. January 25, 2018 As the UK is dominated by domestic politics and Brexit news, it is easy to lose sight of priorities in other global markets. I have the advantage of spending half my time in Asia, and this engagement brings a helpful perspective. By 2025, the region is expected to contribute to 45 per cent of global [...]
Getting digital: Smart solutions for how to tax the gig economy January 23, 2018 After causing so much disruption to established organisations over the last few years, 2017 was the year the gig economy’s own set of growing pains came to the fore. Legal challenges, additional regulation, and uncertainty over employment classifications have all dominated the news reels. 2018 has opened with renewed pressure on the government to raise [...]
Esure boss Stuart Vann steps down with immediate effect January 19, 2018 Esure boss Stuart Vann is stepping down with immediate effect after 17 years with the group, in order to help the company “evolve its long-term strategy”. Until a replacement for Vann is found, the group’s finance chief, Darren Ogden, will step in on an interim basis. He will be supported in the role by chairman [...]
City offices set for bumper demand in 2018 as more businesses expected to come to the Square Mile January 19, 2018 City office take-up will soar in 2018 with businesses expected to lease more than 5m square feet (sq ft) of space this year. According to real estate advisers CBRE, Brexit has had minimal impact on financial and insurance firms’ appetite for office space it the City. It also forecasts demand for co-working spaces will continue [...]
Challenger bank Revolut and Thomas Cook have just launched a pay-per-day travel insurance service activated by your phone’s location services January 17, 2018 Another day, another insurtech idea. This time, challenger bank Revolut has launched a pay-per-day travel insurance plan which relies on a mobile phone’s geolocational services. The scheme, which Revolut claims to be the first of its kind, can be turned on and off from a user’s phone. When in use, it will use the phone’s [...]
Bank of England says Brexit trade deal including the City is possible but warns of tensions with EU over investment banks January 16, 2018 A post-Brexit free-trade deal with the EU which includes financial services could be completed in three years, according to the Bank of England’s chief banking regulator, countering the view of the EU’s chief Brexit negotiator, Michel Barnier. Sam Woods, the Bank’s deputy governor in charge of the Prudential Regulation Authority, said it is “plausible” that [...]
Bank of England economist Silvana Tenreyro sees potential for pleasant UK productivity surprise January 15, 2018 British productivity growth could give economists a pleasant surprise in the coming years, according to a top policymaker at the Bank of England. Silvana Tenreyro, an external member of the interest rate-setting monetary policy committee (MPC), said she believes the so-called productivity puzzle could be resolved as laggards – including the financial sector – finally [...]
Carillion could crash into administration as early as Monday if the government doesn’t back a rescue plan January 13, 2018 Troubled construction firm Carillion could fall into administration as soon as Monday if the government does not back a rescue plan, according to reports. Government officials are set to hold crunch talks on the firm’s fate on Sunday, Sky News reported, quoting a source that called it a “make-or-break weekend”. “Without that commitment of support [...]