Financial services have prospered inside the EU: Brexit would only see the City shrink June 21, 2016 How we vote on Thursday will have an impact on the whole country, but on Britain’s financial services industry in particular. There will, of course, be an immediate reaction in the markets. But Thursday’s decision will also help determine the future size and shape of our financial sector. Financial services are important because they are Britain’s single [...]
Sir James Dyson is wrong: Voting Leave offers the illusion of control – but the certainty of vastly reduced influence June 21, 2016 Sir James Dyson recently restated his allegiance to the Leave campaign, calling the many uncertainties associated with Brexit “cobblers”. Outdated terminology aside, a declaration for Leave from an entrepreneur of Sir James’s stature could influence undecided voters. His position is not new. Dyson’s support for Leave goes back to 2014, when he was battling German manufacturing giants [...]
As the populist Five Star Movement takes power in Rome and Turin, is it time to worry about Italy again? June 21, 2016 Dr Edoardo Bressanelli, lecturer in European politics at King’s College London, says Yes. While it’s true that these elections were only mid-term local elections, where parties in government lose support and local factors play an important role (like corruption scandals in Rome), they represented a clear defeat for the centre-left Democrats and leader Prime Minister Matteo [...]
Why Brexit could be the shock that saves the euro June 21, 2016 Threatened by the possibility of a British exit from the European Union, politicians across the continent have rightfully defended the fragile politico-economic bloc from a vote that could open the door for more countries to leave. But could such an upset potentially yield a brighter future for Europe and, more specifically, the countries that share [...]
The UK needs a global, connected capital city, and Brexit would put all of that at risk June 21, 2016 London is a connected, global city – an attractive place to work, do business, and to set up a headquarters. Central to that appeal are its bonds with Europe. We’ve always been a trading city, and there are historic reminders of that at London City Airport. Located in London’s Royal Docks, the steel tracks that [...]
London Tech Week: Much more than bearded coders working in coffee shops June 20, 2016 London Technology Week aims to turn the eyes of the world onto the UK capital’s thriving digital industry, celebrating the diversity of specialisms, expertise and talent in the city. At the first of 400 events, expected to be attended by 43,000 people over the next five days, the formal launch achieved just that. Fashion tech [...]
France’s strikes show why Europe is in a doleful spiral of absolute decline June 20, 2016 “Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold/ Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world… The best lack all conviction, while the worst/ Are full of passionate intensity.” – WB Yeats, The Second Coming, 1920 Last week we looked at a counter-intuitive, but just about possible, positive alternate future for Brussels, with EU elites at last [...]
The UK is about to become a world leader in artificial intelligence June 20, 2016 With the news that Magic Pony has been acquired by Twitter, we are witnessing a crucial turning point – five of the world’s biggest technology companies have now purchased UK-based Artificial Intelligence (AI) companies. See Magic Pony Technology and Twitter, SwiftKey and Microsoft, VocalIQ and Apple, DeepMind and Google, and Evi and Amazon. Over the coming days [...]
From telecoms provider to tech innovator: Can the old guard make the leap? June 20, 2016 The global telecoms industry faces the most challenging risk environment in living memory. Profitability is being squeezed by disruptive competitors, regulatory change and unrelenting cyber attacks. The threats facing telecoms today are diversifying and multiplying. At BDO our recent industry report, 2016 Telecommunications Risk Factors Survey, highlights strategic and operational risks reported by sixty telecoms [...]
Let’s make London the tech capital of the world June 20, 2016 Today marks the start of London Technology Week, a fantastic opportunity for thousands of tech experts from all over the world to descend on the capital to learn and share new ideas and shine a light on this hugely important sector of our economy. London is an established global leader in business services and international [...]