Local Enterprise Partnerships – and why it’s hardest to be an entrepreneur in the Black Country September 10, 2015 Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) were formed by the government in 2011 to create links between businesses and local authorities, with the aim of driving growth and creating jobs. Four years later, official statistics give an indication of where it's easiest to run a business – by measuring individuals' disposable income in each LEP (although it's [...]
Londoners hit record number January 5, 2015 LONDON’s population is forecast to reach record levels this year according to figures from the Greater London Authority. The Greater London population is expected to surpass 8.669m which would be sufficient to take it over levels not seen since 1939 when the population peaked at 8.615m. London’s population declined in the post-war decades. Barney Stringer [...]
Fintech challengers like Square, ApplePay and Funding Circle could undermine banks’ credit ratings in 2016 according to Standard & Poor’s December 16, 2015 The rise of fintech is challenging traditional banks, and could even undermine their credit rating, according to Standard & Poor's. The ratings agency expects global investment in 'non bank' financial service to be worth $24bn (£16bn) this year, double the figure in 2014. Traditional banks are still trying to adapt to the low interest rate, and [...]
Why 2016 will be the year that peer-to-peer lending finally enters the financial mainstream December 21, 2015 UK peer-to-peer platforms will have lent over £2bn by the end of 2015. Our activities account for 92 per cent of the alternative finance industry, and peer-to-peer lending forms a significant part of the wider financial landscape in its own right. In just 10 years, we have developed into a grown-up and regulated industry. [...]
Who is the most influential person in history? Margaret Thatcher’s death doesn’t stop her being voted most influentital woman of last 200 years, beating Princess DIana and Oprah Winfrey December 1, 2015 Margaret Thatcher has managed to win over more voters two years after her death, having been voted the most influential woman of the past 200 years. The UK's first and only female Prime Minister has made more of an impression than Queen Elizabeth, Mother Theresa and Oprah Winfrey, among others, thanks to her status as a "game changer". [...]
Premier League economic impact: Competition contributed £3.4bn to UK GDP according to EY report November 18, 2015 Premier League football kicked £6.2bn into the UK economy in a single season, according to a new study from Ernst & Young (EY). In a study commissioned by the league, EY estimate that English football's top tier division contributed £3.4bn to UK GDP in the 2013/14 season, paid £2.4bn in taxes to the Exchequer and [...]
London house prices up by 10 per cent in October and first-time buyers bear the brunt – Rightmove October 19, 2015 There's just no end to it. London house prices are 9.8 per cent higher than they were in October 2014, data released today by online property market Rightmove reveals. Nationally, house prices rose 5.6 per cent year-on-year with first-time buyer properties leading the way at 9.6 per cent. The number of properties coming to the London [...]
Investors toast dividend hike at Galliford Try February 18, 2015 GALLIFORD Try has hiked its dividend by almost 50 per cent as a recovery in its construction business and buoyant demand for new homes helped to boost sales and profits. Pre-tax profits rose 12 per cent to £42.5m in the first half of the year to 31 December compared with the same period last year, [...]
The beyond GDP myth: Why the government shouldn’t try to maximise our happiness November 4, 2015 Just at the moment when the economic literature appeared to have reached a decisive conclusion about the negative impact of government size on economic performance, the debate has shifted. Suddenly, the impact of government on happiness (subjective well-being or life satisfaction), not growth, is all the rage. We’re told three things. First, that we’re [...]
Why Japan’s fintech startups are turning to London November 24, 2015 There are a few major reasons why I decided to start my business in London instead of Tokyo. Firstly, the UK’s fintech scene is open, fairer and more equal and there’s many opportunities to network and engage with the community in London. All of these factors are contributing to greater competition, creating more synergy and [...]