Coronavirus: Government must be more imaginative to save small businesses April 27, 2020 The Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILs) was launched to much fanfare, with people lining up to praise the far-sighted, generous nature of the programme and proclaim how much it would do for small business. A staggering £330 billion was set aside for interest-free loans, with the Government willing to sit behind 80 per cent [...]
Starmer promises ‘strong economy’ and tells Johnson to ‘get a grip or get out of the way’ September 29, 2021 Sir Keir Starmer has vowed in his party conference speech to “never again under my leadership go into an election with a manifesto that is not a serious plan for government”, while promising four times to deliver a “strong economy”. The Labour leader said “the good society and the strong economy” are “partners” as he [...]
Deutsche Bank staff in the City set for three-day work from home week April 29, 2021 Deutsche Bank plans a post-pandemic policy for its City staff that allows them to work from home for up to three days a week. The implementation of the hybrid working model is part of a wider initiative to encourage flexible working at the German financial giant. “It’s a range of 40 per cent to 60 [...]
Can UK fintech companies succeed where legacy banks have failed so far with CBILS? April 14, 2020 Welcome to this weeks’ edition of City AM’s Crypto Insider, and I hope that you all managed to make the most of the Easter Weekend despite the obvious pain of social distancing. I sincerely hope that all of you and your loved ones are safe and well. The crypto market remains resilient, but nonetheless down [...]
Half of CEOs don’t expect a return to normal this year, but the push to embrace remote working stalls March 23, 2021 Half of CEOs don't expect a return to normal until 2022, but their push to embrace remote working has stalled, with fewer downsizing offices or advertising fully remote job postings
£500m Future Fund launch mired by fears startups will miss out May 20, 2020 Future Fund, the government’s £500m answer to startups’ need for cash to survive coronavirus, is set to launch today – but risks freezing out a swathe of British firms, entrepreneurs and investors have warned. That many startups cannot yet demonstrate a turnover, and that they typically rely on equity investment for cash flow, excludes most [...]
M restaurant founder Martin Williams on his new Canary Wharf venue September 6, 2022 Sitting in the new M restaurant in Canary Wharf, a few days before it officially opens today, is a slightly surreal experience. Overlooking the river in the new, diamond-shaped Newfoundland Quay tower, a row of people in wetsuits are doing laps around the docks below us. As they approach the restaurant they glide past a [...]
Office space: Inside the swanky new Conran and Partners offices February 11, 2022 The return to the office and the advent of hybrid working has been a hot topic for almost two years and it shows little sign of dying down. If you are lucky enough to work for Conran and Partners, you will have left Butler’s Wharf near Tower Bridge for your lockdowns at home, only to [...]
Leaders are entitled to holidays but Dominic Raab’s Crete vacation was a dereliction of duty August 23, 2021 Last week Foreign Secreatry, Dominic Raab was harangued from all sides because he was on holiday and either uncontactable or unwilling to disrupt his respite to make a telephone call to a minister in Kabul. The question of whether or not a conversation between Raab and his Afghan counterpart, Mohammad Hanif Atmar would have made [...]
The Metaversal evolution will not be centralised July 28, 2022 Web3 is Metavolutionary Some have questioned whether Web3 offers much in the way of utility. Web3 is the build-out platform for evolutionary economic and governance models. For a Web3 company to succeed, it not only needs a great product, an established userbase, but also an attack-resistant system of governance. While there will be plenty of [...]