Whistleblowers in banks to get more protection from today September 7, 2016 It goes without saying that in recent months Brexit has been at the forefront of the minds of those working in financial services in the City. No doubt, Brexit will continue to dominate the headlines for years to come. However, we should not let Brexit overshadow or mask the sweeping reforms already taking place across [...]
Customers don’t want to bank on Santander anymore after it chopped interest rates on its popular 123 account September 7, 2016 The news that Santander has notified customers that they face a cut to interest rates has caused something of a stir. The Spanish bank is cutting the rate of interest on its popular 123 current account by half. Customers will receive 1.5 per cent interest as opposed to the previous three per cent. This follows on [...]
Black Lives Matter protest at London City Airport was absurd, the expansion of the travel hub will create jobs for the capital’s poorest September 7, 2016 Your holiday may be over but there are still plenty of people keen to jet off from London City Airport. Sixty-three per cent of passengers travel on business – a higher proportion than any other UK airport. Indeed, according to the airport's own figures nearly two thirds of those passing through their doors work in [...]
Wake up, Britain: Your post-Brexit future is brighter than you realise September 6, 2016 This is an extract from a speech to be given at the Institute for Turnaround Conference in London on 8 September 2016. Britain's future is brighter than the British realise. This is perfectly obvious to outsiders but the British can’t believe it. Britain has been for some time the second most compelling investment destination after [...]
London is still number one for fintech – and now we’re going global September 6, 2016 Ten weeks on from Brexit, the City is back to business following the summer, and the fintech community is as busy as ever working through its plans for an ever-changing world. While the uncertainty of Brexit may loom for some time, London is still the number one fintech hub on the planet. We have created [...]
The IMF’s Brexit failures were the final straw: It’s time to scrap these inept pundits September 6, 2016 Sports fans will all be familiar with the commentator who almost always gets things wrong. “Arsenal are very much on top here” he – it is invariably a “he” – will pronounce, or “Root is looking very settled”, only for the opposition to score a goal immediately and for the Yorkshireman to be clean bowled. [...]
Don’t fall for the illusion of a good first impression September 6, 2016 "If you want us to invest, don’t upset the receptionist”. Passion Capital founder Eileen Burbidge sets great store by how those seeking investment from her treat the most junior of her employees. Walt Bettinger, chief executive of Charles Schwab, reportedly takes this even further. He invites prospective hires to breakfast, tips the waiter to provoke them [...]
Leave the buy to let market alone, Britain needs more landlords September 6, 2016 Twenty years since buy to let took off, landlords are now a crucial part of Britain’s housing ecosystem. The private rented sector, accounting for around one in five properties, provides much-needed homes for those people who are not ready to buy or do not want to purchase a property. However, the sector sometimes comes in for stick, [...]
Brexit is a chance for London to renew itself once again as a great global city September 5, 2016 London is a phoenix-like city. It has reinvented itself time and again, rising from the Great Fire, the Plague and the Blitz. Compared to those, Brexit is a mild cold. The capital now needs to renew itself once again. It produces 22 per cent of the UK’s GDP and 30 per cent of its tax [...]
The London option: Britain’s EU deal must guarantee our city’s business pre-eminence September 5, 2016 In my last piece for Morning Wire, just 10 days after the referendum, I said that, by working together, we can keep London open for business and leading in the world. Over the past nine weeks, I’ve been meeting as many business leaders as possible, across all sectors, from startups to global corporations. Sadiq Khan and I [...]