Great transport means opportunities – we just need to learn how to fund it May 30, 2022 It will not have escaped your notice that Transport for London opened a new part of the network last week. The Elizabeth line, which began life as Crossrail in a 1974 rail report, currently runs in three separate stages across the capital. It will eventually extend from Reading and Heathrow in the west to Shenfield [...]
The Platinum Jubilee will be a moment to reflect on what makes us stronger together May 30, 2022 The eyes of the world will be on London this week as we prepare for the Platinum Jubilee – a truly historic occasion where the country will come together to celebrate Her Majesty’s extraordinary seventy years of service. Here in the City, a national service of thanksgiving at St Paul’s Cathedral and many other festivities [...]
Loan sharks will keep circling victims unless the lending industry embraces change May 30, 2022 As many as 1.08 million people could be borrowing from an illegal money lender – a loan shark – according to a recent Centre for Social Justice report. Loan sharks take many forms, from community-based lenders operating in estates to fully-fledged organised crime groups seeking out the most vulnerable. They use pester power, intimidation and [...]
NIESR top economist: Bank of England has tools to fight inflation May 30, 2022 The UK economy is in a bit of a bind. Households are being squeezed by historic rises in their living costs, while businesses’ margins are thinning due to expenses soaring. A much higher than expected inflation crunch – primarily the result of Russia’s unforeseen invasion of Ukraine – is forecast to trigger a spending pull [...]
Letters: An ode to youth May 30, 2022 [Re: Vanguard doubles down on fossil fuel investment, May 26] Following news that Vanguard will continue to invest in fossil fuels despite its commitment to hit net zero, the benefits of net zero investment on growth and opportunities for young people need to be emphasised. Whilst the government has pledged that green investment will help [...]
Explainer-in-brief: Guess who’s behind the dead cat strategic masterpiece? May 27, 2022 Yesterday Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced the introduction of a windfall tax – or as he called it, a “temporary targeted energy profits levy” – signalling a huge u-turn from his party’s previous stance on the policy. The announcement came the day after the Sue Gray report on Downing Street boozy parties, leading some to condemn [...]
It’s time to recognise our businesses would benefit from devil’s advocates May 27, 2022 As corporate speeches go, it was eventful. Last week, Stuart Kirk, head of responsible investing at HSBC’s asset management division, delivered a provocative speech entitled “why investors need not worry about climate risk.” One week and a media storm later, Mr Kirk is no longer a head of responsible investing. Instead, he has been suspended, [...]
Seeing is believing: young girls need more female role models in business to look up to May 27, 2022 Ensuring that anyone with potential can get on in life makes good business sense. It means that women should have the same opportunities as men to start their own businesses and be represented at every level. Despite female-founded SMEs contributing around £85bn of the UK’s economic output each year, there is still much more to [...]
To understand what London needs, we should look at the history of spatial poverty May 27, 2022 In the “Republic”, Plato wrote that “any city, however small, is in fact divided into two, one the city of the poor, the other of the rich”. This still rings painfully true today, especially if the city in question is London. The capital is a uniquely unequal place: it hosts some incredibly wealthy people, as [...]
Letters: Comfort through stories May 27, 2022 Dear Editor, thousands of children have arrived in our communities over the last few months, separated from their loved ones and belongings. They may not be able to attend school straight away, so they need support with their education. Language barriers may also leave them feeling isolated. The Bookmark Reading Appeal is seeking to raise [...]