Time for a migration policy based on sense December 19, 2018 Throughout the Brexit process, as the government’s core objectives and red lines have one by one been compromised away, a single aim has remained front, centre, and non-negotiable: end freedom of movement and give Britain control over its future immigration policy. The question, then, is how it will use this power. The long-awaited government white [...]
UK investors warn tech giant regulation could harm startups December 5, 2018 UK investors are concerned legislation aimed at tech giants could have a damaging impact on startups, a new survey has revealed. A report published by the Coalition for a Digital Economy (Coadec) found 86 per cent of UK investors believe the principle of designing policy and legislation to target global giants could inadvertently hurt tech [...]
To lead the digital revolution, London must ensure that no one is left behind November 26, 2018 This week, I will be meeting leading businesses, charities, educators, innovators and investors at a Digital Skills Summit at the Mansion House to look at how emerging technologies are transforming the way we live, work, and communicate with each other. Building on my mayoral programme – Shaping Tomorrow’s City Today – the summit will consider [...]
Crypto A.M. shines its Spotlight on CityBlock Capital November 21, 2018 | Sponsored This year has been a tumultuous year for cryptocurrency markets, but here on Wall Street, blockchain technology and the development of a regulatory compliant, digital asset ecosystem is moving full steam ahead. Over the past several months, the London Stock Exchange, New York Stock Exchange, NASDAQ, and Fidelity have all announced plans to launch digital [...]
Equinix to spend £90m on Slough data centre to support the City’s increasing reliance on data November 19, 2018 Technology infrastructure giant Equinix is building a £90m flagship data centre to support increased reliance on data by City firms, the company said today. The US firm said the new and expanded facilities will support growing volumes of data, including increased traffic in the City. The project, dubbed LD7, is due to be completed in early 2019. The new facility [...]
Fairytale economics will not enchant markets November 14, 2018 In a remarkable break with the economic prudence of the past decade, policymakers in the west are taking their feet off the spending brakes. During the recent midterm elections in the US, President Trump hailed the continuing stream of positive economic data and Democrats’ warnings about the cost of tax cuts failed to cut through. Meanwhile the [...]
Central banks could issue state-backed digital currencies, says IMF November 14, 2018 Central banks could issue digital currency, International Monetary Fund (IMF) managing director Christine Lagarde said today. Speaking at an event in Singapore, Lagarde mooted a state-backed digital token, or an account held at the central bank for consumers and firms to use for retail payments. As the demand for cashless payments increases, digital currency could provide security [...]
Embracing digital technology will help the City to shape the future of the UK November 12, 2018 As the 691st lord mayor of the City of London, I follow a long continuum dating back to 1189, before the Magna Carta. My focus over the next 12 months will be on how the City can help shape the UK’s future. In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, British innovations such as railways, cotton mills and [...]
Hammond’s digital tax is an illogical game of whack-a-mole November 7, 2018 The introduction of a new digital services tax was the most depressingly inevitable part of Philip Hammond’s Budget speech last week. Years of pressure from a pincer movement of corporate tax moralists and traditional retailers have paid off. Starting in April 2020, profitable digital businesses with £500m in global revenues would face a two per cent [...]
A luddite levy on online shopping won’t help the high street October 23, 2018 Time and time again over the past few months, we’ve heard prominent figures in the retail world call for a special sales tax on online companies to help prop up their struggling sector, from the Tesco chief executive Dave Lewis, to the New West End Company that represents Selfridges and Marks & Spencer. Chancellor Philip [...]