Few predicted London’s reinvention but we can build for its future growth December 12, 2013 LONDON is changing. But then again, it always is. The theme of my new book Reinventing London is that change is the lifeblood of a great city. Over the past 30 years, the capital has replaced around 1m jobs in manufacturing, largely around the edge of the city and along radial routes, with over 1m [...]
Unlocking the secret to startup success February 10, 2014 Annabel Palmer talks to the co-founders of Secret Escapes about their adventures in the online travel industry IF YOU watch television, it’s likely you’ll have been exposed (and possibly raised an eyebrow) to Secret Escapes’ marketing campaign – arguably the most provocative advert since Cindy Crawford donned denim hotpants for Pepsi. Brand ambassador Camilla Arfwedson’s [...]
Unlocking the secret to startup success February 9, 2014 Annabel Palmer talks to the co-founders of Secret Escapes about their adventures in the online travel industry IF YOU watch television, it’s likely you’ll have been exposed (and possibly raised an eyebrow) to Secret Escapes’ marketing campaign – arguably the most provocative advert since Cindy Crawford donned denim hotpants for Pepsi. Brand ambassador Camilla Arfwedson’s [...]
Warning for retail as shoppers hold back on winter fashions November 3, 2013 ACCOUNTANCY firm BDO is calling for retailers to “hold their nerve” in the build-up to Christmas, despite an unusual dip in fashion sales for the season. BDO said that although consumers traditionally make purchases for winter at this time of year, there is little sign that shoppers are doing so at the moment: in the [...]
It’s time to break the Whitehall silo and put startup discipline into government December 3, 2013 THE CURSE of Norman Lamont makes politicians wary of mentioning the “green shoots” of recovery. But when the data show growth of 0.4 per cent, 0.7 per cent and 0.8 per cent in the first three quarters of 2013, it’s clear. The UK is off life support. Sure, the recovery is heavily consumption-led, with exports [...]
London must learn from New York’s woes and build more homes November 6, 2013 ONE of the perennial myths about this country is that we are somehow uniquely keen on home-ownership and are culturally averse to renting. That’s nonsense: 70.7 per cent of those who live across the EU’s 27 member states are owner-occupiers, against just 64 per cent (and falling fast) in England and Wales. Having risen from just [...]
Forty infrastructure projects sign up for government financial aid October 21, 2013 THE GOVERNMENT is one step closer to guaranteeing the riskiest stages of forty planned infrastructure projects, Treasury minister Danny Alexander has said today. The scheme will offer guarantees worth up to £40bn in an effort to reduce the risk for investors. Forty have passed the first hurdle, proving they are eligible for the guarantees, and now face [...]
Sainsbury’s chief to step down after ten year rule January 29, 2014 SAINSBURY’S chief executive Justin King is to step down after ten years at the helm, having overseen nine years of consecutive growth and restored the company’s status as Britain’s second largest supermarket chain. King will step down at the company’s annual general meeting in July, when he will be replaced by Sainsbury’s commercial director Mike [...]
The year in preview: Our in-depth guide January 5, 2014 City A.M.’s journalists take a wide-ranging look at what 2014 has in store for the world of finance and business BANKINGRestoring faith means costly overhaulsA CAUTIOUS optimism pervades the British and European banking system at the start of 2014. The incoming economic recovery is at last improving customers’ creditworthiness, while the hard work running down [...]
Osborne sticks to £50 pledge on energy bills December 5, 2013 CUSTOMERS will save around £50 on their energy bills through green policy reforms, the government confirmed in yesterday’s Autumn Statement. Some green levies will be reduced or shifted into taxation and three new energy-saving schemes will be implemented as part of the policy overhaul. “The government cannot control the price of energy in the global [...]