City Matters: Why opponents of City development ignore our true Victorian heritage February 16, 2014 GUILDHALL is currently playing host to a public inquiry that has major ramifications for planning in the Square Mile and London. The future of the derelict Smithfield General Market and Annex (not the operational meat market next door) – or Smithfield Quarter for shorthand – is under deliberation. The secretary of state for local government [...]
Osborne snubs City as he calls for balanced growth February 19, 2014 CHANCELLOR George Osborne will today issue a stark message about the future of the UK economy, warning that it can no longer rely on the City to generate financial stability. “We cannot put all our chips on the success of the City of London, as my predecessors did,” he is expected to say in the [...]
Martin Wheatley undermined China effort – Editor’s Letter October 8, 2014 As the advisers to the Jimmy Choo flotation announce they have enough support to proceed, there is much to be delighted with in the way the new issues market has gone this year. Up to the August break and then pausing until the uncertainty over the Scottish referendum lifted, there has been a constant stream [...]
Why we need to talk about business – Editor’s Letter October 16, 2014 Business bashing is in vogue. This week we’ve seen regulators with self-defeating plans to rein in bankers’ pay deals, protesters at the Mipim property conference attacking international investors who buy in London (a protest better aimed at our broken planning system) and a political attack on Lord Freud for using poorly-chosen words to point out [...]
Amazon planning to more than double its workforce in London September 11, 2014 Online retail giant Amazon has signed a deal to open a huge office around the corner from Silicon Roundabout, where it will more than double its current total UK corporate workforce to more than 5,000 employees. Amazon’s new home will be Principal Place, a massive development between Liverpool Street and Shoreditch High Street stations, which [...]
There’s a black hole at the heart of the City: Lack of superfast broadband September 28, 2014 In the twenty-first century, superfast broadband is something we take for granted, like clean water and bright lights. But despite being in the world’s most popular business location, many of the City’s SMEs are still receiving the internet equivalent of rusty, murky water. While our larger businesses are well-served by fibre optic broadband, SMEs and [...]
City Matters: Why Britain should be watching Italy’s reformist new leadership closely April 14, 2014 THE TURNOVER of Italian governments has been a regular feature of the European political structure for many years. Matteo Renzi’s recent elevation into the Prime Minister’s position has therefore been regarded in some quarters with ennui. He faces formidable challenges – not least questionable support within the Parliament, and attempting to reform the Italian political [...]
City Matters: How evolving City offices are positioning for the next big tech breakthrough March 17, 2014 WE ALL want the next Google, Facebook or Twitter to come from London. The same is true for major success stories from other industries. This can only happen, however, if we ensure the capital has the right mix of space to enable small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to grow and realise their full potential. The [...]
City Matters: Companies must work with schools to fix Britain’s growing skills shortage March 30, 2014 THE KEY factor behind the success of any business – or indeed city – is its people. The capital is an international business hub, home to hundreds of different nationalities. But it must also demonstrate the local benefits for “ordinary” Londoners, especially young individuals looking to get their first foothold on the employment ladder. That [...]
Uber vs Maaxi: Race is on but Nat Rothschild’s taxi app rival is laps ahead – Bottom Line October 5, 2014 Nat Rothschild, the 43-year-old from an extensive lineage of financiers, certainly has a bold and strategic approach to spotting business opportunities. His adventure with Indonesia’s Bakrie family may have had an unhappy ending, yet even this was based on a reasonable theory. The plan was to connect a mining giant in the booming continent of [...]