Zac Goldsmith, Sadiq Khan or Caroline Pidgeon: Why the next mayor of London will be the candidate who puts renters first March 29, 2016 “This election is a referendum on housing”, Sadiq Khan has claimed. He's right – no section of London society has been let down as badly as its legion of renters. There are problems across the full scale of renting, not least with the dearth of affordable housing. The capital’s private lettings market is outdated, fragmented [...]
The Big Bang 30 years on: How the City of London has changed since 1986 October 26, 2016 Nothing stands still in the City. The world's financial services powerhouse has seen it all, from boom and bust to bouncebacks and Brexit. Its skyline has changed almost beyond recognition over the last three decades, as have the markets it serves. As we mark the 30th anniversary of the so-called Big Bang, we cannot help [...]
Investment banking revenues plunged to financial crisis levels in 2015 – and a greater drop is expected this year May 17, 2016 Global investment banking revenues dropped to their lowest levels since the financial crisis last year. And they are expected to plummet even further this year, according to a new report. Analysis in the Boston Consulting Group’s (BCG) Capital Markets 2016 report predicts 2016 investment banking revenue to total $212bn (£147bn), down seven per cent from [...]
Sadiq Khan: I will unite London and be the most pro-business mayor yet May 5, 2016 Millions of Londoners will have the opportunity today to vote for a new mayor. And when it comes to business and the financial sector, this election matters. London is an established global leader in business services and international finance. We are also a growing force in newer industries such as tech, low carbon and life [...]
Supermarket price wars prove a potent aid to popularity July 14, 2015 German discount supermarkets Aldi and Lidl hold on to their positions as the highest performing brands in YouGov BrandIndex’s mid-year Buzz Score Rankings, while we have positive news for the Co-Op group in the most improved brand list. The rankings are based on YouGov’s BrandIndex Buzz scores, which measures whether consumers have heard anything [...]
Pension or property: Which is the better option for your retirement? August 31, 2016 The Bank of England’s chief economist Andy Haldane drew ire from the pensions industry for the second time this year, when he claimed that property was a better investment option for retirement than a pension in an interview with The Sunday Times this weekend. “It ought to be pensions but it’s almost certainly property,” Haldane said. [...]
Confront women with the true horror of the old age poverty they face to tackle our pensions saving crisis April 22, 2016 Women are facing poverty in retirement as they cut back on pension contributions to fund childcare. A report released by The Fawcett Society, which campaigns for women’s rights, found many women are funding childcare out of their own pay packets (not their partners’) – which means stopping pension contributions. It partly responsible for a doubling of [...]
The curious case of Swiss referendums: Tunnels and trains win the day but tax changes shot down at the polls June 6, 2016 Swiss voters rejected the much-hyped basic income proposal put to them in yesterday's referendum. More than three-quarters of voters sided with the government and campaigners who warned the proposal to give every man and woman 2,500 Swiss francs (£1,773) a month was just too expensive. The proposal was put forward by a Swiss businessman through Switzerland's form [...]
Memo to the City: Why tackling mental health issues makes good business sense March 31, 2016 One in four of us will suffer mental illness during our lifetime. It’s a shocking statistic that demonstrates the seriousness of this public health crisis. Treatment can be very effective, but sufferers need to be sure they will get the support and help they need. For this to happen, we need better coordination and engagement from government, [...]
Unemployment numbers up and wage growth down: Why the UK labour market has started to stutter April 20, 2016 Jobs and wages figures released today raised questions over whether the UK economy could be losing steam. Analysts were quick to point to a host of factors that could be at play, as well as what the numbers mean for everything from interest rates to Brexit. The figures The headline unemployment rate came in unchanged [...]