In July 2020 the Government launched e-scooter trials. E-scooters exploded onto our streets, not just legal e-scooters, run by rental companies as part of the Government trials, but illegal, privately owned e-scooters were suddenly everywhere. A motorised vehicle that could only legally be ridden on private land was killing, often teenage, riders on our roads, …
Access to Cash Crisis
Thousands of bank branches closed Analysis of bank branch closures since 2015 have shown not only that huge numbers of bank branches are closing but also that closures are happening at an accelerating pace. Over 700 bank branches closed last year alone and 220 branches are already scheduled to close this year (2022). In total, …
New Year’s Honours for Tokyo 2020 Paralympians
After a uniquely challenging summer of sport and a truly incredible Paralympic Games it is deeply satisfying to see the New Year’s Honours list includes 48 awards for Paralympians and individuals associated with the Paralympics. Both the Chair and Chief Executive of the British Paralympic Association have received honours. Professor Nick Webborn OBE, appointed Chair …
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The Disabled Students’ Allowance Scheme is not working
What is the Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA)? Entering higher education is not easy, harder still during Covid, harder by multiple factors if you happen to be a disabled student. The Disabled Students’ Allowance was set up to enable, to empower disabled students to fulfil their potential alongside their non disabled colleagues. The scheme could cover …
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Tech Green Finance
Green Finance Week at TechUK I was delighted this week to participate in TechUK’s Tech Green Finance Week. COP26 has been a welcome stimulus and TechUK has taken the opportunity to explore what the new announcements mean for the technology and financial services sectors and what role technology will play in mobilising climate finance. I …
Inclusive by design: lacking at COP26
Despite being the nation that gave birth to the Paralympic Games in 1948 and staging one of the greatest shows on earth, not least in terms of inclusion, in 2012, COP26, unfortunately, failed the inclusive by design test earlier this week. Entirely avoidable There are many things which can be said about the incident, overwhelmingly …
2021 UK Blockchain Landscape
I am delighted to welcome the publication today, 3rd November 2021, of an incredibly useful overview of the 2021 UK Blockchain landscape. The overview breaks down on a company-by-company basis more than £1,6 billion worth of investments into UK blockchain companies, maps our entire blockchain ecosystem of entrepreneurial talent and sets out the most prominent …
Social Value in Government Procurement
Government procurement teams are responsible for managing billions of pounds of public expenditure, in fact, every year £300 billion is spent on contracts for public services. What is value? Thinking about how the Government gets ‘value for money’ out of this procurement spending is an important exercise. Value has previously perhaps been too narrowly defined …
Resolving Insolvency
The Rating (Coronavirus) and Directors Disqualification (Dissolved Companies) Bill is currently in the House of Lords. It is clearly a Bill in two parts. The first part deals with business rate valuations in the light of Covid-19 and the second provides for the investigation and disqualification of the former directors of dissolved companies. As this …