nHouse founders Nick Fulford and Richard Hywel Evans on the need for modular housing in the UK May 2, 2018 While we all know what disruptive tech looks like, what does disruptive housing look like? By almost universal consent, three problems need to be addressed in the current market – affordability, sustainability and quality – and whoever conquers all three will seriously shake up the UK market. Yet architect Richard Hywel Evans thinks he, along [...]
Apple defies critics by meeting expectations on iPhone sales in first quarter results May 1, 2018 Apple allayed industry fears that it would be hit by declining sales of its flagship product by selling 52.2m iPhones in the first quarter. The figures Shares in the tech giant were up by about four per cent in after-hours trading as it posted a 16 per cent climb in revenue to $61.1bn (£44.8bn). Sales [...]
New home secretary Sajid Javid should develop an immigration system fit for 21st century, post-Brexit Britain April 30, 2018 The appointment of Sajid Javid as home secretary may have been designed to stem the blood from a self-inflicted wound, but it could have far reaching consequences for the government – and for UK immigration policy. Javid is a red-blooded free-marketeer, and marks a break with the metropolitan centrism of his predecessor, Amber Rudd, whose [...]
Amber Rudd is a moderate but we need more than warm(ish) words on immigration April 27, 2018 Amid all Brexit uncertainty the silver bullet that could reassure business is easy access to global talent. This is not incompatible with a strong independent immigration policy, but at present the government has not set out its vision for post-Brexit immigration. Instead that void is filled with the noise generated by the Windrush scandal and [...]
DEBATE: With Comcast and Fox bidding over Sky, does it matter that it will be owned by a US company? April 27, 2018 With Comcast and Fox bidding over Sky, does it matter that it will be owned by a US company? Alastair Benn, editor of Reaction Weekend, says YES. Pre-Murdoch, the British media was a pretty conservative, comfortable place. There was a recognisable journalistic culture derived from the close proximity of newsroom, editor’s office, and printing press [...]
Island’s time: Jamaica’s Prime Minister Andrew Holness on trade winds, Brexit and Windrush | City A.M. April 26, 2018 Jamaica’s Prime Minister had intended to spend last week talking to world leaders about issues such as the threat of climate change to his island nation. Instead, Andrew Holness was fielding questions from journalists about the Windrush scandal that was dominating headlines and embarrassing the UK government. The day before we meet at the Jamaican [...]
A Home Office that can’t handle Windrush is not fit for purpose April 19, 2018 Leading MEP Guy Verhofstadt is a troublemaker when it comes to Brexit, set on making life difficult for Britain as it leaves EU, often via the medium of Twitter. The vast majority of the time, his insights into UK politics should be taken either with an industrial container of salt, or better yet ignored completely. [...]
Facebook will ask Europeans and Canadians to allow it to use facial recognition technology on them April 18, 2018 Facebook said it will start asking European and Canadian users to let it use facial recognition technology in its latest move to become more transparent regarding users’ privacy. A blog post posted late yesterday by Erin Egan, VP and chief privacy officer, policy, and Ashlie Beringer, VP and deputy general counsel, said: We’ve offered products [...]
Lloyds Banking Group to cut 305 jobs and close 49 branches across the UK as customers switch to digital banking April 17, 2018 Lloyds Banking Group is cutting 305 jobs as part of plans to close 49 branches across the UK, as customers increasingly opt for digital banking rather than going into branches. The cuts are predominantly across its branch network, and will affect some other central functions too. Read more: Former Lloyds Banking Group boss wins £1.35m [...]
GBPUSD: British real wages are officially rising again but sterling falls back against the US dollar after growth misses expectations April 17, 2018 Britons’ pay packets grew by 2.8 per cent in the year to February, officially ending a year of real wage falls as salary increases have finally overtaken price rises. The Office for National Statistics today reported that average weekly earnings for employees in Great Britain increased by 2.8 per cent, both excluding and including bonuses. [...]