Labour now has the same talking points as the Tories, but fewer ideas December 12, 2024 Labour came into office mocking Tory complains about the civil service, but are now coming up against the reality of an unwieldy bureaucracy unresponsive to their demands, says Matthew Lesh “Dominic Cummings was right“ is not a phrase you would expect to hear from a senior Labour official. But, in less than a few hundred days, [...]
Public Realm Vision December 11, 2024 An ambitious and inspirational vision for the future of public spaces in the Square Mile’s tall building cluster has been unveiled this month. The new Public Realm Vision, published by the Eastern City Business Improvement District (EC BID) following 10 months of collaborative working, seeks to support the City of London Corporation on plans already [...]
Eastern City cycle Medics keeping people safe and secure at Christmas December 11, 2024 Following the success of last year’s initiative, the Eastern City Business Improvement District (BID),along with the City River Partnership, has sponsored and paid for two cycle response medics whowill be deployed in the area to assist any member of the public in difficulty or distress. Over the 2023 festive period the medics treated 116 people [...]
Best gadgets 2024: The top tech to buy this Christmas December 11, 2024 Choosing the best gadgets and new tech products can significantly enhance your lifestyle, from outdoor adventures to home offices and entertainment. This guide explores key features to look for in smartwatches, laptops and printers, along with the benefits of innovative technologies like Spatial Audio and cutting-edge processors. Whether you’re upgrading your headphones or seeking advice, [...]
Fresh legal twist in Wimbledon expansion saga December 11, 2024 Wimbledon chiefs have begun a legal process in a bid to see off any lingering threat of a challenge to their £200m expansion plans for the world famous tennis club. Opponents of the scheme want to use an obscure law to quash the planning permission finally granted last month, three years after the plans were [...]
HSBC plots $3bn cost savings in new chief’s restructuring December 11, 2024 HSBC is reportedly hoping to realise at least $3bn of cost savings as part of its biggest restructuring in a decade under new chief executive Georges Elhedery. Europe’s biggest lender aims to complete its revamp by next June, Bloomberg News reported. The overhaul will see the London-based lender reorganise into four new divisions and split [...]
The Notebook: Is it time for the City to embrace behavioural science? December 11, 2024 When Rachel Reeves laid the groundwork for deregulating the finance sector last month, the City’s behavioural scientists spied an opportunity. After all, you don’t need an encyclopaedic knowledge of the City’s post-crisis rap sheet to understand that relying on regulation and controls to influence financial workers’ behaviour has its limitations. Whereas if there were a [...]
Should libertarians fear digital ID cards? December 11, 2024 The government is introducing digital IDs that will enable young people to prove their age when buying a pint, but is it worth giving up your privacy to the state to make you life a little easier? Asks James Price In my favourite movie, 2007’s Hot Fuzz, the village pub allows the underaged children of [...]
Labour’s tax bombshell for high streets December 11, 2024 The government is rushing through business rates reforms for private schools without considering the wider implications for sectors we all rely on, says John Webber Twelve months ago, the Labour Party was still talking about scrapping business rates if it got into power. Whether that was a genuine plan or whether the £22m blackhole discovered [...]
The state is nothing like a start-up December 11, 2024 Pat McFadden wants the state to be more like a start-up, but the ‘move fast and break things’ mentality has no place in public services on which so many depend. There is, however, a better model… The government’s announcement of a £100m innovation fund to embrace a “test-and-learn” mindset is undeniably ambitious. Speaking at University [...]