DEBATE: Do banks still need a high-street presence? July 8, 2021 Monzo, Revolut and Starling are all household names. People can open accounts without ever speaking with an employee and most don’t have any branches at all. High-street banks are also closing down and the mass transition towards online banking has only been expedited by the pandemic. Do banks still need a high street presence? Gareth [...]
Responsible investing is not a bubble set to burst, it is a greater structural evolution July 8, 2021 In recent months concerns have grown about responsible investment “bubbles”. In May, MSCI warned that clean energy exchange-traded funds are as crowded as technology stocks were at the height of the 1999 boom. Yet, whether we like it or not, bubbles are exactly what we should expect at this stage of the sustainable economic transition. [...]
Bank of England and FCA: Financial services’ bottom lines will be hit if they ignore diversity and inclusion July 8, 2021 The financial services industry, like many other areas in our society, has made slow progress in becoming more diverse and inclusive. In recent years, social movements in the U.K. and around the world, have put an acute focus on these issues. Where these wider social issues impact the statutory objectives the UK’s financial regulatory authorities [...]
Editorial: A growing talent time-bomb is putting London’s economic recovery in peril July 7, 2021 London feels more normal than it has done for a long time. Soho is buzzing, Oxford Street has begun to see elements of a footfall revival, and at certain times in recent weeks it’s been possible to see young men of a certain age getting merrily tanked up before going to the football. And not [...]
The power vacuum in Afghanistan left by the US and the UK will draw Beijing’s watchful gaze July 7, 2021 Foreign combat operations ended in Afghanistan years ago. For the past few years, barely 10,000 NATO forces have been helping enable a force of some 400,000 Afghans with the necessary equipment and capability to build the state. Those support operations ended with the withdrawal this week. Since the abrupt departure of Western soldiers, Afghan forces have [...]
Levelling up will fail if Boris Johnson pushes for a nationwide approach July 7, 2021 The phrase “levelling up” has permeated the political lexicon over the past year or so, but few seem to know exactly what it means or how to do it. Andy Haldane, outgoing Chief Economist at the Bank of England, put some flesh on the bones at a timely Policy Exchange seminar last week. For Haldane, [...]
Freedom Day cannot be tainted by ifs and buts – the entertainment sector won’t survive further restrictions July 6, 2021 It is absolutely right we are finally reopening fully on July 19. Boris Johnson’s announcement last night that pubs, nightclubs, and events would be freed of Covid restrictions should be a moment to rejoice. There are many in the industry, however, who are wary of the threat of further closures. Hospitality has suffered enormously with [...]
Drink up: Scotch whisky should be the crowning glory of a UK-India trade deal July 6, 2021 Even before a formal trade deal, the relationship between the UK and India was worth £25.5bn in 2019. What is known as an enhanced trade partnership – the precursor to a fully-fledged FTA – is expected to generate new jobs and unlock fresh opportunities for both countries. At the helm of closer ties between the [...]
Venture capital is changing and a public listing will help unlock the transformation July 6, 2021 In 2013, I started Forward Partners with a single mission: to give more start-up founders their best shot at success. Since then, we have built a portfolio we are immensely proud of, and packed with ambitious, growing businesses operating in the hottest technology sectors. We have proven our approach to investment works, growing net asset [...]
UK Snapchat boss: Social mobility in tech is not just about diverse hiring, we have to change the culture in workplaces July 5, 2021 My first job out of university was at one of the big investment banks in London. My family and friends were incredibly proud – we were from working class backgrounds in Birmingham and a role like that was the stuff of dreams. But after just three weeks, I knew it was not for me and [...]