• Square Mile roadworks are a necessary evil
    Monday, 23rd August 2010
    CITY COMMENT
    STUART FRASER
    LAST week, London First published a report entitled “Road Sense”, looking at how to best strike a balance between the costs and benefits of works taking place on the streets of London. As anyone who... [Read more]

  • We need to enhance London as a business hub
    Monday, 9th August 2010
    CITY COMMENT
    STUART FRASER
    LAST week, British Land and Blackstone agreed a deal to build the City of London’s largest office building to house the new European headquarters of UBS. And whilst we are still very early in the... [Read more]
  • Time to embrace carbon trading opportunity
    Monday, 26th July 2010
    CITY COMMENT
    STUART FRASER
    REDUCING carbon emissions is a long-standing objective within the European Union for obvious reasons. But, given the current economic climate, policy makers are now stressing the need for the UK to... [Read more]
  • City must stop making noise just for attention
    Monday, 12th July 2010
    CITY COMMENT
    STUART FRASER
    As regular readers of this column will know, the City of London is acutely aware of the impact that any proposals emanating from the European Union may have on our international competitiveness. But... [Read more]

  • City’s competitive edge blunted by bank levy
    Monday, 28th June 2010
    MONDAY COMMENT
    STUART FRASER
    THERE can be no doubt that Asia holds the key to the future growth of the global financial services industry, providing a whole host of new opportunities for the international business community,... [Read more]
  • Tax is a matter for UK government, not the EU
    Monday, 14th June 2010
    CITY COMMENT
    STUART FRASER
    THIS week, in a speech to leading figures from across the financial services industry at Mansion House, George Osborne will outline the government’s plans for reform within the banking sector. One... [Read more]
  • German ban shows danger of unilateral action
    Tuesday, 1st June 2010
    TUESDAY COMMENT
    FOR many months I, along with everyone else in the financial services industry, have been warning the UK government that we should not lead on regulatory reform without a clear idea of what is to be... [Read more]
  • New government, new attitude to the City
    Monday, 17th May 2010
    CITY COMMENT
    STUART FRASER
    After five days of painstaking negotiations involving politicians from right across the political spectrum, we finally have a new Government – a formal coalition between the Conservative Party and... [Read more]
  • US and EU must coordinate regulatory reform
    Tuesday, 4th May 2010
    CITY COMMENT
    STUART FRASER
    We don’t need it next year...We need it now.” So said Barack Obama last week, referring to the US Financial Reform Bill, designed to change the way in which the American financial services industry... [Read more]
  • US and Europe need to agree on hedge funds
    Monday, 19th April 2010
    CITY COMMENT
    Stuart Fraser
    BY CONVENTION, the moment a General Election is announced, central government and the civil service enter what is known as purdah. No decisions can be made with regards to policies that a new... [Read more]
  • EU membership is still a necessity for the UK
    Tuesday, 6th April 2010
    CITY COMMENT
    STUART FRASER
    AS inhabitants of an island state with a strong sense of identity, some people in the UK are wary of the European Union. Vetoed by De Gaulle throughout the 1960s and separated by 26 miles of English... [Read more]
  • Populist politicians must stop punishing City
    Monday, 8th March 2010
    CITY COMMENT
    Stuart Fraser
    AT FIRST glance it is hard to see how goings on in the City can have any bearing on the UK’s thousands of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). On one hand you have the huge multi-national... [Read more]
  • Financial regulation needs analysis, not prejudice
    Monday, 1st March 2010
    CITY COMMENT
    Stuart Fraser
    As Michel Barnier, the European Union’s Internal Markets Commissioner, prepares to make his first official visit to the UK this week, I would like to welcome him on behalf of the City. Despite... [Read more]
  • Big City banks must be allowed to grow again
    Monday, 8th February 2010
    CITY COMMENT
    STUART FRASER
    TOMORROW, Barclays chief executive John Varley will become the latest business leader to appear before the Treasury Committee’s inquiry into how to solve the problem of banks that are deemed too... [Read more]
  • Headwinds will continue for years to come
    Monday, 25th January 2010
    CITY COMMENT
    Stuart Fraser
    At the time of writing, Britain is the only G20 country still in recession but finally, after two years in decline, there is hope that our economy is finally growing again. It is widely anticipated... [Read more]
  • What the City wants from a new government
    Wednesday, 13th January 2010
    CITY COMMENT
    STUART FRASER
    THIS afternoon, I will be setting out the City of London’s vision for 2010 at an event at the London Chamber of Commerce discussing what a Conservative government could mean for the Square Mile. The... [Read more]
  • Balanced debate is needed on future of banking
    Monday, 11th January 2010
    CITY COMMENT
    Stuart Fraser
    As people from across the City brave the wintry conditions let us hope that policy makers can help provide a brighter forecast for the financial services industry over the coming year. The past 12... [Read more]
  • Service companies key to City’s business success
    Monday, 21st December 2009
    CITY COMMENT
    STUART FRASER
    In light of recent headlines it is hard to believe that London’s ongoing reputation as a world class financial centre depends on anything other than tax and regulation but I assure you it is true.... [Read more]