Sadiq Khan’s successful pro-business campaign is heartening for us all – but the work is just beginning May 9, 2016 It is fair to say that relations between the Labour Party and business are in a slightly odd place at the minute. The nervousness is perhaps understandable, considering that both the leader and shadow chancellor of the party continue to describe themselves as socialists. In these interesting times – and to be fair to those [...]
#WomenInStem needs to be more than a well-meaning hashtag February 11, 2016 London’s innovation economy is firing on almost all cylinders; not for nothing is it regularly ranked at the top of league-tables like Nesta’s European Digital City Index. It is an almost unequivocal good news story, and one that we should be unashamedly proud of. Amidst these sunlit uplands though lies one particularly concerning dark cloud. [...]
The Trade Union Bill is welcome, but with a few changes it could be even better January 5, 2016 Despite the occasional headlines, industrial disputes at businesses are rare. Indeed, acceptance of slow wage growth by employees during the recession was one of the reasons the UK avoided the devastating job losses that have crippled many continental economies. But we again start the year with the threat of industrial action hanging over the UK. [...]
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is in the UK – it’s time to bring his students here, too November 12, 2015 To London’s crown as a global leader in finance and innovation, it appears we can add a further jewel. As anybody meandering around central London today can attest, we leave the rest of the world standing when it comes to welcoming foreign dignitaries. Other countries may have rolled out the red carpet for the visit [...]
Sunday trading: Liberalising retail laws is a win-win for staff, shoppers and business November 11, 2015 Yesterday saw – amidst what is best described as confusion – the Government enact a classic reverse ferret on plans to devolve the regulation of Sunday trading hours to Local Authorities, after members of the SNP joined Labour and some Tory dissenters in registering their opposition to the plans. It is deeply disappointing. It is, [...]
Impunity for cyber criminals simply isn’t good enough September 24, 2015 There’s a temptation to think that cyber-crime is just something that happens to other people. The titillating tale of Ashley Madison users’ names being leaked was all very exciting for a week (though spare a thought for the young journalists whose editors tasked them with rooting through the names hoping to find a Premiership footballer or [...]
The devil will be in the detail of Osborne’s northern powerhouse plans June 23, 2014 IN THE months before a general election campaign gets going, politicians often look like they’re merely going through the motions. Perhaps that was why George Osborne’s surprisingly radical speech in Manchester yesterday, focused on making the “cities of the north a powerhouse for our economy”, caught many by surprise. But while the speech contained the [...]