Have investors jumped the gun in thinking that the era of low inflation is now over? November 21, 2016 Jason Hollands, managing director at Tilney Bestinvest, says Yes. Deep tax cuts, looser banking regulation, massive spending on infrastructure and the military, alongside higher tariffs on imports and tighter immigration restrictions – Donald Trump’s economic policies are inherently inflationary for the US economy, especially against a background of low unemployment. Global bond markets have reacted [...]
Stay calm: The Sword of Damocles is not hanging over Britain’s fintech sector post-Brexit November 18, 2016 In times of uncertainty, it helps to stay calm and focused on the job at hand. At Innovate Finance, we see ourselves as the rational voice of the UK global fintech community. A big part of our job is promoting our members and fintech – not in a cheerleading capacity, but through rational analysis and [...]
Editor’s notes: Whatever your view of him, Farage should sit in the House of Lords November 18, 2016 There are many ways to get a peerage these days. You could conduct a white-wash inquiry into the Labour party’s problem with emboldened anti-semites; you could bounce from quango to quango until a seat on the red benches is the next logical step; you could donate to a political party; or you could have the [...]
Overrated Angela Merkel is no saviour for a free world fearing Trump November 18, 2016 Before hysterical Glastonbury-style crowds in Berlin in 2008, Barack Obama first burnished his international reputation as a “rock-star”. Then just a presidential candidate, his vision of cooperation between Russia and the West, of Middle East peace, and of “a global commitment to progress” was excitedly greeted as the start of a new chapter in US [...]
The City is a beacon on the path to civvy street for our armed forces veterans November 18, 2016 I was a boy of 16 when I joined and a 28-year-old man when I left. Half of my life had been in the Army and the prospect of leaving was as daunting as anything I’d faced. I was lucky to find a new focus that made use of my skills – and I found [...]
We need a long-term strategy for aviation to keep London on top November 17, 2016 In his Autumn Statement next week, the chancellor is expected to champion a number of infrastructure projects. Investment in road and rail is considered crucial to supporting economic growth, and transport has featured highly on the agenda of the new government so far, with HS2 and of course the third runway at Heathrow topping the bill. [...]
We all have lessons to learn from Trump’s shock victory November 17, 2016 Nobody was talking about Wisconsin. There were murmurs about Michigan. There were questions about voter turnout in rural areas of Pennsylvania compared to the cities. Keep in mind, these debates weren’t reflected in the polls; pollsters were almost unanimously calling the election for Hillary Clinton the morning of 8 November. All talk of upsets was [...]
Let’s leverage Britain’s heritage as a great trading nation to lead the world in free trade again November 17, 2016 Britain has a trading legacy that few countries can rival, for hundreds of years sitting at the heart of global maritime trade, with our ports serving as a marketplace for the world. To many, this is just a legacy, alongside other traditional British hallmarks such as bowler hats and red phone boxes. But the truth [...]
As experts forecast a £100bn budget black hole, should the chancellor prioritise deficit reduction in his Autumn Statement? November 17, 2016 Sam Bowman, executive director at the Adam Smith Institute, says Yes. Whatever we borrow today we’ll eventually have to pay for tomorrow. So government borrowing just defers taxation – there really is no free lunch. It’s worse than that, though. Government borrowing crowds out private borrowing, so the more the state borrows for itself, the [...]
Why the Autumn Statement won’t help the City solve the enigma of Philip Hammond November 17, 2016 We know he is not one for Osborne-style soundbites, and if his October speech at Tory conference is anything to go by, he should keep the Ed Balls gags to himself! He is, admittedly going on very little so far, a man with an “eye for the detail” and a “safe pair of hands” that [...]