City A.M. Awards 2016: Our business heroes make the most of the madness November 11, 2016 Businesses hate uncertainty, so we’re told. The lobby groups that represent UK plc constantly remind us of the benefits of a calm economic and political environment, with benign conditions nurturing growth and prosperity. It’s a nice thought, and an understandable sentiment. But the reality is that life is never straightforward, and some of the business [...]
The new bridge to China heralds the start of a golden age for UK fintech November 11, 2016 Over the past few years I’ve witnessed first-hand the UK’s fintech sector emerge as the world’s dominant hub – over traditional technology centres such as Silicon Valley, New York, Israel, Singapore, and Hong Kong. There is no question that more technology innovation and value creation in financial services comes from the UK than anywhere else [...]
Editor’s notes: Does Trump’s victory provide opportunities for the UK? Maybe November 10, 2016 One benefit of Trump’s shock victory is that it makes the Brexit vote look like a council by-election in comparison. The world is now used to the idea that over the next two years the UK will slip the surly bonds of Brussels, and although the full details of that plan aren’t fully understood it’s the [...]
Businesses are unwittingly entering the political fray with post-Brexit price rises November 10, 2016 More businesses are justifying price rises by blaming the fall in the pound post-Brexit. Whatever their commercial reasons, this is an extremely dangerous game. Commenting in these ways means entering the political arena at a sensitive time. These firms should be ready for serious scrutiny and hostile comment – now, but more importantly in the [...]
Are London-only visas a good idea? November 10, 2016 Richard Brown, research director at the Centre for London, says Yes. For much of the UK, immigration was the big issue in the EU referendum. Londoners have always been slightly more relaxed. One in four workers in the capital are from overseas, and Londoners in general are far more positive about immigration than people from [...]
Bitcoin will thrive under the certain uncertainty of a Donald Trump presidency November 10, 2016 The world woke on Wednesday morning to news that billionaire Donald Trump swept to power in an election result that will go down as the most surprising in American history. At first, markets were hit hard, though the dust has already begun to settle as investors acclimatise to the soon-to-be White House resident. The election, in particular [...]
Donald Trump’s ambiguous trade policy is a massive opportunity for Britain to catalyse the creation of a new Prosperity Zone November 10, 2016 Much ink has been expended on what a Donald Trump presidency will mean for trade. He has promised at various times in his campaign to slap 45 per cent tariffs on China and Mexico, to pull the US out of Nafta and the WTO, and has railed against the TransPacific Partnership. Naturally many people have assumed [...]
Trumpism will clash with economic reality November 10, 2016 Yesterday marked the 27th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. It also heralded the ascendancy to the world’s most powerful office of a man whose most famous campaign pledge is to construct a massive wall along the length of America’s southern border. “We’re going to build it,” declared Trump, “and Mexico’s going to [...]
Anti-free trader Donald Trump is on a collision course with economic reality November 9, 2016 US presidential elections have always been imbued with protectionist rhetoric, most notably in the Democratic party primaries. What’s different in 2016 is the scale of it and the fact that it comes from the other side of the political aisle. The election of Donald Trump pitches political rhetoric against economic history. Those who know their [...]
Could a Trump presidency actually be good for stock markets? November 9, 2016 Adrian Lowcock, investment director at Architas, says Yes. Markets are still digesting what a Trump presidency means for investors and, although comparisons with Brexit are overstated, we could see some more volatility. Longer term, the result could be good news for stock markets. The shock result may mean that interest rates do not rise in [...]