Why the businesses of the future are honing in on Cornwall June 10, 2020 Six months into a new decade, the working landscape has altered beyond recognition. Businesses around the world have adapted to remote working with a scale and ease beyond wildest expectations. “Working from home” has cast off any of the negative connotations attached to it, with workers in fields ranging from banking to surveying, media to [...]
Let the economy reboot itself June 10, 2020 How can the government best support the UK’s economic recovery after the crushing impact of the pandemic? Today, the Institute of Economic Affairs and Civitas are publishing a joint report on the economics of the Covid-19 crisis, written by Professor Len Shackleton and myself. Many are arguing that the crisis has demonstrated the need for [...]
We risk entrenching racial inequalities unless we change our economic response to Covid-19 June 4, 2020 Like many, I have been deeply worried by the growing evidence about the disproportionate impact of Covid-19 on our black and ethnic minority (BAME) communities. Public Health England’s latest research, released this week, shows that BAME communities are at far higher risk of catching Covid-19 and are at greater risk of dying from the disease [...]
Card Factory scraps dividend as higher costs hit profit June 2, 2020 Card Factory today scrapped its full-year dividend as higher costs and the ongoing impact of Covid-19 weighed on profit. The figures Card Factory reported revenue of £451.5m for the year to the end of January, up 3.6 per cent year on year. Like-for-like sale dipped 0.5 per cent over the year. Underlying profit before tax [...]
CBILs failings are leading us to catastrophe May 26, 2020 Ranald Macdonald is a restaurateur and Managing Director of Boisdale Group The UK is sleepwalking into a financial disaster of biblical proportions that will exacerbate the economic effects of Covid many times over. Other leading nations, like Germany, the US and France, will avoid this calamity as they have been far more successful in ensuring [...]
UK GDP shrinks: Economists warn worst yet to come as lockdown persists May 13, 2020 The UK economy shrank by a record 5.8 per cent in March, thanks almost entirely to just over a week of coronavirus lockdown that began on the 23rd. In the first quarter as a whole GDP contracted by two per cent, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said today. This was its worst performance since [...]
It will be trade that powers Britain’s resurgence after Covid-19 May 4, 2020 Britain is at its best when we act together. History has shown us to be the most successful of unions. Yet we now face an enemy that knows no national boundaries. Once defeated, as it will be, the successful rebooting of the global economy will require us to work as one. I am proud that [...]
Coronavirus: The Government knows employers must keep one eye on tomorrow April 27, 2020 During this time of huge uncertainty, financial security is at the forefront of many people’s minds. For those running businesses, the focus is understandably on the here and now, ensuring there’s sufficient cash flow and resources to navigate this enormously challenging period. But employers are also well aware they have to have one eye on [...]
The Long Read: The coronavirus loan scheme risks failing the people it was designed to help April 19, 2020 When the chancellor, Rishi Sunak, vowed that the government would do “whatever it takes” to keep businesses alive during the pandemic, the immediate reaction from corporate Britain was one of relief. The pledge to pay the wages of employees unable to work and the ambition behind the £350bn package of support (combining grants, sector-specific relief [...]
Coronavirus: The economy is in trouble, and there seems no plan to fix it April 17, 2020 As a rule, it is always helpful to question the usefulness of government plans—often as they are late, over-budget, over-promised and under-delivered. But when the alternative is an empty void and the government promising no light at all to what will be possible, never mind when, just an inkling of a suggestion that someone is [...]