Wednesday newspaper round-up: Carbon emissions, working from home, London Capital & Finance
A slump in UK consumer spending during the coronavirus lockdown has erased almost the same carbon emissions as produced by the city of Nottingham in a year, according to a new report. Carbon emissions from the UK’s main consumer industries tumbled by more than a quarter during the national coronavirus lockdown as people travelled less and cut down on clothes shopping. - Guardian
He has previously praised the “solidarity” of the English-speaking nations that share strong bonds with the UK. Now the former Australian prime minister, Tony Abbott, is tipped to be appointed to advise the UK – his birthplace – on how to seize trade opportunities post-Brexit. The Guardian understands there’s been speculation in Australian government circles for some time that Abbott – a social conservative who was prime minister for nearly two years until he was toppled in a snap party vote in 2015 – was in line for a British trade advisory role of some form. – Guardian
Two of the City's most powerful firms have called an end to the daily commute by allowing staff to permanently split their time between home and the office after the Covid crisis. The world's biggest investment bank JP Morgan has told staff in London that they will be continuing to work remotely on a part-time basis. Meanwhile Linklaters, one of London’s elite Magic Circle law firms, said employees will be free to work from home for up to half of the week. – Telegraph
The City watchdog has come under fire from a former Court of Appeal judge after its failings delayed her investigation into its role in a £237 million investment scandal. Dame Elizabeth Gloster was appointed last year to undertake an independent inquiry into the Financial Conduct Authority’s handling of London Capital & Finance, a seller of high-risk minibonds that collapsed in January 2019. – The Times
The stamp duty cut is fuelling a property boom in commuter towns across the southeast of England. Rightmove, the online property portal, said that it had recorded the biggest annual jump in seller numbers in the region since the start of the stamp duty holiday. Sellers are responding to higher demand, which is outstripping supply in many places. – The Times