A shortage of land could kill off London’s e-commerce revolution September 13, 2016 Recent reports that Amazon is set to test drone deliveries in partnership with the UK government is just the latest salvo in the fiercely contested battle between the e-commerce giants that are transforming the way we shop. The move also demonstrates the challenges of a constantly evolving logistics sector. City A.M. readers are at the [...]
Don’t blame businesses for hiring foreign staff. Improve British skills October 6, 2016 Home secretary Amber Rudd provoked outrage this week for suggesting that companies should list the number of foreign workers they employ. For many in the business community, it hit a raw nerve at a sensitive time. EU nationals that call the UK home and have set up fast-growth businesses, or joined talented global teams, are already [...]
Business confidence stays positive despite drop to four year low September 19, 2016 Business confidence across the country remains in positive territory despite falling to a four year low in the wake of the referendum. The number of exporters expecting an increase in total exports also remained in positive territory, although it fell to 20 per cent. The latest half-yearly Lloyds Bank business confidence report suggests that the UK [...]
Weak housebuilding caused the UK’s construction output to shrink for the fifth month in a row in May – and it could get worse July 15, 2016 As if they needed it, here's more bad news for housebuilders: the UK's construction output fell 2.1 per cent between April and May – driven largely by a drop in the number of new homes being built. Figures published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) this morning showed output fell 1.9 per cent year-on-year [...]
Augmented reality: How your business card will soon become a presentation in your pocket September 27, 2016 It's not difficult to imagine how Snapchat’s newly-unveiled video-recording glasses – Spectacles – could lead to models featuring full-blown augmented reality (AR) lenses. Indeed, in his book The Inevitable: Understanding the 12 Technological Forces that will Shape our Future, Wired founder Kevin Kelly paints a picture of the world in 30 years’ time: we’ll be [...]
How the chancellor can unlock more private capital for infrastructure November 23, 2016 Chancellor Philip Hammond is widely expected to outline a more flexible approach to deficit reduction when he delivers his first Autumn Statement today. Flexibility seems wise, given the scale of uncertainty as the UK prepares to leave the EU. Ministers have identified investment in infrastructure as a means to boost the UK’s competitive standing. In [...]
Theresa May has axed an advisory panel of some of Britain’s top bosses September 22, 2016 Theresa May has axed an advisory panel established by her predecessor to generate feedback from some of the UK's top bosses. May has scrapped the Business Advisory Group launched by David Cameron in July 2015. The news – first revealed by Sky News – comes just over a year after Cameron launched the group in the [...]
These universities have been ranked as the world’s best (and the UK wins) September 21, 2016 Britain’s boffins may find time to vacate their libraries and science labs this evening – for they have reason to celebrate. The University of Oxford has become the first UK institution to top the Times Higher Education’s (THE) World University Rankings table, leapfrogging a US rival. Oxford knocked five-time champion California Institute of Technology into [...]
Britain’s struggling Border Force is in no state to manage a post-Brexit migration crackdown September 12, 2016 When we leave the EU, we may bring in work permits or some other way of controlling immigration from Europe. The home secretary confirmed that this was on the table this weekend. To do this, however, we will need to overhaul our Border Force. In a new report released this week, I outline the deep [...]
Is it time to take your business prospecting? October 10, 2016 Before the seismic events of this summer, it was clear that we modest Brits needed to be more proactive in our pursuit of commercial opportunities overseas. British firms are trailing behind bolder European counterparts when it comes to developing relationships abroad, with recent LinkedIn data showing that less than a third (31 per cent) of UK [...]