As a businessman, Donald Trump knows that success requires compromise: Brexiteers should take note November 15, 2016 With the election of Donald Trump to the White House, we have now experienced political earthquakes on both sides of the Atlantic. Mr Trump’s triumph and the UK’s Brexit vote, both fuelled by public anger, confirm we have moved into a new and much more uncertain political era. Millions of words have already been written [...]
Dump opinion polls for social media to understand people’s real preferences November 15, 2016 So the pollsters and pundits got it wrong again. After the General Election last year and then Brexit, it is perhaps not surprising. What is surprising is just how wrong they were. The real problem is the enormous confidence with which they pronounced that Hillary Clinton would win. The Princeton Election Consortium was probably top of [...]
Unfair business rate hikes will hit London’s competitiveness: Government must now act November 15, 2016 London is, without a doubt, a fantastic city in which to live, do business and visit – an epicentre of world-leading business, culture, entertainment and retail. Anyone walking along our iconic streets, from Bond Street to Brick Lane, cannot help but be struck by its unique mix of architecture and people. But we are also [...]
With a leaked memo suggesting the government has no Brexit plan, should it delay invoking Article 50? November 15, 2016 Sarah Olney, Liberal Democrat by-election candidate for Richmond Park, says Yes. Yesterday’s leaked Brexit memo made it clear why Theresa May won’t tell us her plan for Brexit; because she doesn’t have one. Her government is failing to come up with clear answers on the most important issues, including Britain’s membership of the Single Market. [...]
Do schmaltzy Christmas ads cheer up revenues? November 15, 2016 What do a robin, a boxer dog, a cartoon character called Dave and Mrs Santa Claus have in common? It may sound like the start of a bad joke but this motley crew all have starring roles in 2016's Christmas adverts for major retailers. So far, the M&S ad appears to be the biggest hit [...]
Britain needs a culture shift if it’s going to lead the world on free trade November 15, 2016 In her most pro-business speech since she came to power, Theresa May last night made a grown-up argument for Britain to promote free trade. This is excellent. But as the Prime Minister knows, it will take a lot more than pro-trade rhetoric to make things happen. Britain will have to take concrete steps at home and [...]
People don’t trust their banks – but capital assurance could change this November 15, 2016 People still don’t trust banks. Post-crisis reforms aimed at improving their reporting, conduct and culture, while increasing resilience, are all now well into their implementation phases. But past scandals, whether to do with mis-selling or improper behaviour, are still affecting banks’ profits, with large fines and even bigger customer settlements. And public perceptions continue to [...]
The Trump-Hammond-Keynesian consensus is wrong: Higher infrastructure spending does not equal greater growth November 14, 2016 To a man with a hammer, everything looks like a nail. Or when it comes to the UK economy: to an economist who believed in fiscal stimulus in 2011, every period of time looks like an opportunity for more government spending. In the aftermath of Donald Trump’s victory last week, even his most vociferous left-leaning economic critics [...]
Have you been pleasantly surprised by Donald Trump’s performance since the election? November 14, 2016 Tim Worstall, senior fellow of the Adam Smith Institute, says Yes. Pleasantly surprised is to put it mildly. The sight of special snowflake heads exploding in outrage all around has been hugely enjoyable. According to them, threats to deport 3m illegal immigrants seem to be different from the 3m deported under the Obama administration. The [...]
The behavioural biases that explain why Mr Market is unruffled by Mr Trump November 14, 2016 The world is not short of comment and analysis following the election of Donald Trump as US President. In some ways, the coverage is indicative both of the result’s unexpected nature and its historical significance. It is fascinating, therefore, that an event of such magnitude has created barely a ruffle in stock markets. Step back from [...]