Lord Mayor: A global London is vital to a speedy recovery June 1, 2020 International cooperation has never been more important than now as we face up to the challenges posed by the current pandemic. Countries across the globe are tackling huge public health, economic and social issues so it is vital that we work together and continue to learn from one another. After all, global problems require global [...]
Five thought-provoking books we’ve read in 2021 September 15, 2021 Book clubs aren’t just a way to while away a pleasant hour with friends as you discuss Jane Austen or Julian Barnes over a glass of wine. Our emerging market equities team has established a book club to seek investment insights from beyond the everyday sources. We hope it will spark discussion, and nurture a [...]
Britain deserves a New Deal — with platform workers and digital rights front and centre July 22, 2020 Crises tend to reshape and transform how we work — and Covid-19 is no different. From the extraordinary rise in home working and the reorganisation of physically distanced workplaces, to the sharp rise in unemployment and the existential threat now facing many sectors, the consequences to life and work will long outlast the pandemic itself. [...]
FTSE bosses: Businesses ready to kickstart UK recovery July 3, 2020 This weekend the UK economy takes a few more important steps towards reopening and rebuilding. And in spite of the human toll the coronavirus has had, so far the public are strikingly optimistic about the future. According to the Edelman Trust Barometer, two-thirds of people believe the pandemic will result in improvements in how we [...]
Softbank profit plunges 99 per cent on heavy Vision Fund losses February 12, 2020 Softbank’s quarterly profit has been almost entirely wiped out after heavy losses from its Vision Fund hit the technology investor for the second consecutive quarter. The Japanese conglomerate’s operating profit from October to December plummeted 99 per cent to just ¥2.59bn (£18.2m) after its Vision Fund and a related vehicle recorded a $2bn loss. Softbank [...]
The tech export boom shows the UK is leading innovation at a crucial time September 3, 2020 The UK has been at the vanguard of technological change, with our tech creators, innovators and risk takers helping shape the digital world around us. Whether you are tracking your heart rate on a run, finding ways to be carbon neutral, taking education to the next level, or increasing financial inclusion, the UK’s tech businesses [...]
BP to sell aromatics and acetyls arms to Ineos for $5bn June 29, 2020 Oil giant BP has today agreed to sell its petrochemicals business to Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s Ineos for $5bn (£4.05bn). Under the deal, Ineos will acquire the supermajor’s aromatics and acetyls operations, which produce a combined 9.7bn of petrochemical products per year at 14 facilities around the world. Ineos will pay a $400m deposit for the [...]
Former Speaker John Bercow faces bullying complaint from top aide January 23, 2020 John Bercow’s chances of bagging a peerage could be in tatters following reports his most senior former official has filed a formal bullying complaint. Lord Lisvane, who was chief clerk of the House of Commons at the beginning of Bercow’s stint as Speaker, has handed a dossier of allegations to the parliamentary commissioner for standards, [...]
Verizon snaps up Blue Jeans amid booming demand for video conferencing April 16, 2020 Verizon today said it has entered into an agreement to buy video conferencing firm Blue Jeans as the coronavirus lockdown fuels huge demand for remote working. The US telecoms giant did not disclose the value of the deal but the Wall Street Journal reported a price tag of under $500m (£401m). California-based Blue Jeans provide [...]
Work will change, but the office is here to stay May 5, 2020 As the coronavirus crisis continues to unfold and much of the population adjusts to remote working, many are heralding the end of the office as we know it and trumpeting working from home as the ‘new normal’. But just how viable is the prospect of an office-free future? History tells us that any vision of [...]