Talk Talk shares slip as coronavirus eats into revenue July 21, 2020 Talk Talk shares slipped just under two per cent this morning, after the British telecoms firm reported a slip in revenue in the three months to 30 June, as Brits switched traditional phone calls for video chats during lockdown. The internet firm reported an eight per cent slump in headline revenue to £358m, down from [...]
Blockchain and the future of digital and crypto currencies November 9, 2020 With the advances in online banking, contactless payments, and the recent concerns related to using physical currency in the days of COVID-19, fewer and fewer people carry cash. And with China leading the way to launch a central bank for digital currencies, this trend is not just set to continue, but to accelerate. Many in [...]
Let the economy reboot itself June 10, 2020 How can the government best support the UK’s economic recovery after the crushing impact of the pandemic? Today, the Institute of Economic Affairs and Civitas are publishing a joint report on the economics of the Covid-19 crisis, written by Professor Len Shackleton and myself. Many are arguing that the crisis has demonstrated the need for [...]
DEBATE: Should the government rethink its quarantine rules? June 4, 2020 Should the government rethink its 14-day quarantine rules for new UK arrivals? Kate Nicholls, chief executive at UKHospitality, says YES. International tourism is a significant driver of our economy and is going to be key to recovering from the Covid-19 crisis. The proposed 14-day quarantine will inevitably damage international visitor travel and could hurt consumer [...]
UK car production falls for the fifth consecutive month in January February 27, 2020 British car production declined for a fifth consecutive month in January, but an increase in overseas orders gave the struggling sector some cause for cheer after a challenging 2019. According to new data from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), output fell 2.1 per cent on a month-by in the first month of [...]
Consumer credit forecast to grow at lowest rate for six years in 2020 February 17, 2020 Consumer credit is forecast to grow at its lowest rate in six years in 2020, despite a post-election pick-up in consumer confidence. The EY Item Club predicted consumer credit growth of 3.2 per cent this year. Although lending rose slightly at the end of 2019, signalling a post-election increase in demand, the annual forecast remains [...]
UK job security perception plunges as coronavirus spreads March 23, 2020 Britons are more worried about their employment prospects than at any time since 2011 as confidence in the economy plunges due to the coronavirus pandemic, a survey has shown. UK consumers also plan to slash their spending on major purchases at the fastest rate since 2012, data firm IHS Markit’s household finance index showed today. [...]
Startup community Supernode merges with VC fund to invest in media-tech October 21, 2020 Investor and startup community Supernode has absorbed media-tech VC fund Rooks Nest Ventures in what it claims is an industry first. The creation of Supernode Global comes out of the £28m Rooks Nest Ventures fund, launched in 2017 by film producer Michael Sackler, and the community platform Supernode. The new venture will offer access to [...]
Coronavirus: Do governments have any economic bullets left? April 28, 2020 From Beijing to London to New York, the trajectory of confirmed COVID-19 cases and its subsequent impact on economic growth has set off alarm bells across the world. China, which has contributed tremendously to global growth over recent decades, has seen its economy contract for the first time in more than 40 years, while Europe [...]
Tax system to the rescue: Six policy tweaks that could kickstart the economy June 23, 2020 The past three months have seen a deluge of economic, political, and legal moves that would have been unthinkable at the start of the year. As civil liberties were curtailed on a scale never seen in peacetime and ten million children were turned away from school, new hospitals were built in a matter of weeks, [...]