Just-in-time supply chains have left us dependent and with just-not-enough October 1, 2021 In the peak of the pandemic, songwriter Justin Vernon, known as the haunting voice of Bon Iver sang a searing lyric: “You at the corner store, you were stocking up before the storm.” As we watched hours of queues at petrol stations, we were reminded once again it was those who had filled up their [...]
Small businesses will bear the burden of climate costs and reap few rewards September 30, 2021 Climate is Covid on steroids, so says Mark Carney, the former Governor of the Bank of England. While the world has grappled with, and seemingly started to defeat, this coronavirus pandemic, the next challenge is going to be even harder. The upcoming Cop26 conference in Glasgow is a bellwether moment for the fight against global [...]
Editorial: A decent Labour opposition can be good for the Tories, too September 30, 2021 In December 2019, this newspaper ran an editorial which – in no uncertain terms – said that a Labour party led by Jeremy Corbyn didn’t deserve your- our readers – votes. The party had descended into a pit of anti-semitism, infighting and backstabbing. If Theresa May once warned the Conservatives they had become seen as [...]
British banks in Hong Kong have traded away their principles September 30, 2021 Hong Kong has been a crucial economic gateway between East and West for decades. As one of the biggest markets in the world, the city has punched well above its weight on the international business stage. With recent political and social upheaval and repression, however, that reputation is changing. Despite a shift in the global [...]
Labour conference: Now comes the hard part for Keir Starmer September 29, 2021 Fourteen heckles, seventeen standing ovations and 90 minutes of Sir Keir Starmer speaking about tools, looms and robotic exoskeletons. That was how the Labour conference ended today, with a speech that finally finished the Corbyn-era and put the party back on the long road to government. Let us not forget that last year’s conference had [...]
Let’s talk Aviva: Smaller but richer insurance firm is looking to grow again September 29, 2021 It has been an interesting couple of months for insurance firm Aviva. The City giant sacked its fund manager and was dragged into a leasehold agreement affair it had hoped to avoid. Nevertheless, following a year of cutting costs and selling foreign assets, Aviva feels confident about the future. The company is firmly on investors’ [...]
Opinion-in-brief: Pandemic era etiquette for the common cold September 29, 2021 So London has been hit by the plague. No, not Covid – how desperately 2020. It’s the monster common cold, which most of us have managed to dodge for the last 18 months thanks to social distancing. Now it’s back with a vengeance. After aggressive messaging telling us to protect our loved ones by staying [...]
Editorial: Go-Ahead’s cock-up doesn’t look good for anybody September 29, 2021 If ever a news story could capture a nation’s mood, the shooting of a stunning, rare white stag by police in Merseyside yesterday, apparently against the RSPCA’s advice, seems to sum up a general feeling of melancholy sweeping the shires. The stag, we are informed by the powers that be, could have become a menace [...]
No, not that German election: An anti-capitalist referendum on rent prices September 29, 2021 Entrepreneurs can breathe a sigh of relief and stay in Germany without having to worry about emigrating. At least for now. A government made up of Germany’s three biggest left-wing parties was narrowly averted in Sunday’s elections. Narrowly is the operative word, because the Social Democrats (SPD), the Greens and Die Linke (the former communist [...]
Robot lawyers aren’t the distant future – they’re real and will revolutionise trade September 29, 2021 Would you trust artificial intelligence to make your financial decisions? How about conducting legal services? In some areas it may already do so. As AI becomes more advanced and the world becomes more integrated, these technologies are reshaping the way we think of the global trade in services. Last week, the new Secretary of State for [...]