Search results for: brexit

The End of the British Automotive Industry as We Know It: The Closure of the Ford Bridgend Factory and the Shift Towards the Electric Revolution

Last week, Ford announced the closure of its Bridgend engine plant with the loss of 1,700 jobs. For some, this was a surprise. Perhaps, the only surprise is that policy-makers and politicians have not been working to overcome the impacts of this closure for the last 12 months. This closure was predictable and it is … Continue reading “The End of the British Automotive Industry as We Know It: The Closure of the Ford Bridgend Factory and the Shift Towards the Electric Revolution”

The Realities, Challenges and Strengths of the External Funding Environment at LEP Level

When I joined City-REDI in October, I was seconded 50% of my time to the Smart Specialisation Hub in Islington for six months. The Hub provided analysis to improve local and national understanding of innovation capabilities, benchmarking innovation activity across Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs). Established in 2010 by the then Department for Business, Innovation and … Continue reading “The Realities, Challenges and Strengths of the External Funding Environment at LEP Level”

Inequality, Not Facebook, Threatens Our Democracies

In a recent viral TED Talk, the British journalist Carole Cadwalladr accused big tech companies in Silicon Valley of threaten liberal democracies and becoming “accessories” to their alleged subversion. In particular, she recalled the Cambridge Analytica case and accused Facebook of acting as a tool to spread lies and misinformation that eventually made Leave campaign … Continue reading “Inequality, Not Facebook, Threatens Our Democracies”

The Retail Crisis Catches Up with Debenhams

Debenhams was reportedly worth £900 million in 2016, but today the retail giant is only worth £20 million. Debenhams generates approximately 80% of its revenue in the UK, thus the firm is highly dependent on a single country. Considering that the British retail industry has been experiencing somewhat of a crisis, with firms including M&S, … Continue reading “The Retail Crisis Catches Up with Debenhams”

Businesses Must Take Advantage of Generous Tax Reliefs to Continue Innovation Trajectory

This blog post has been produced to provide insight into the findings of the Birmingham Economic Review. The Birmingham Economic Review 2018 is produced by City-REDI, University of Birmingham and the Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce, with contributions from the West Midlands Growth Company. It is an in-depth exploration of the economy of England’s second … Continue reading “Businesses Must Take Advantage of Generous Tax Reliefs to Continue Innovation Trajectory”

Is High Speed Two going to change Britain? High-speed rail in an international perspective

While recent media headlines might be devoted exclusively to Brexit, there are a raft of other major government projects – from Universal Credit to the MoD’s new aircraft carriers – that also attract a lot of column space. One of these is undoubtedly High Speed Two. The government says this is a once-in-a-generation chance to … Continue reading “Is High Speed Two going to change Britain? High-speed rail in an international perspective”

Trade Policy, Tariffs and Job Creation and Destruction in the West Midlands: Lessons from Coventry and the 1860 Cobden–Chevalier Treaty

On the 13th of March, the UK government published a 1,477-page document outlining the new approach to tariffs in the event of a no-deal Brexit. There is much to think about here. Under the proposed temporary scheme 87% of imports to the UK by value would be eligible for zero-tariff access.  It is important to … Continue reading “Trade Policy, Tariffs and Job Creation and Destruction in the West Midlands: Lessons from Coventry and the 1860 Cobden–Chevalier Treaty”

Meet Dr Diana Gutiérrez Posada, Research Fellow at City-REDI

As a researcher, I’m interested in the differences between regions, trying to understand why some areas flourish while others struggle, and how this is related to a regions characteristics (framed in a certain spatial context), which is broadly what Economic Geography looks at. I am keenly interested in the interplay between structural and circumstantial features. … Continue reading “Meet Dr Diana Gutiérrez Posada, Research Fellow at City-REDI”

Today is World Day of Social Justice. Let’s talk about what that means

 The 20th of February has been designated by the United Nations as World Day of Social Justice. This year’s theme is “If you want peace and development, work for social justice”, with a specific focus on the 2 billion people worldwide living in fragile states afflicted by conflicts and how the creation of better quality … Continue reading “Today is World Day of Social Justice. Let’s talk about what that means”

Inward Investment in the Birmingham City Region

This blog post has been produced to provide insight into the findings of the Birmingham Economic Review. The Birmingham Economic Review 2018 is produced by City-REDI, University of Birmingham and the Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce, with contributions from the West Midlands Growth Company. It is an in-depth exploration of the economy of England’s second … Continue reading “Inward Investment in the Birmingham City Region”