From job losses to security threats: Five myths about global trade October 3, 2016 Despite trade accounting for nearly six in every ten pounds of global economic output last year, anti-trade rhetoric is spreading on both sides of the Atlantic. This has been noticeable during the US Presidential elections as well in Europe, where a growing backlash against the EU-US trade deal, the Transatlantic trade and investment partnership (TTIP) has reflected [...]
Forget Hard or Soft – Theresa May is right to back a Clean Brexit October 3, 2016 Defining the language of politics is crucial if you want to influence the outcome of events. That is why the Prime Minister is not allowing herself to be bounced into settling for either a “Hard” or a “Soft” Brexit. These seemingly innocent and succinct terms offer a great advantage to broadcasters and headline writers, but [...]
Data bargaining chips: Consumers know more about their personal data than you think October 3, 2016 We are in the midst of a personal data gold rush, driven by the dominance of advertising as the primary source of revenue for most online publishers. Whether purchasing something or simply browsing, every action we make creates a digital footprint, and every step we takes creates a plethora of valuable information about how we live. [...]
Europe’s banking woes are inherently political October 3, 2016 We live in a time of political absurdity. At home, the opposition is led by an unreconstructed 1970s-style Marxist who spent the last three decades as a backbench irrelevance. Throughout continental Europe, extremist parties remain worryingly popular. And across the pond, there is a genuine threat that Donald Trump, a dangerously reactionary authoritarian megalomaniac, could get [...]
Deutsche Bank’s woes signal the fall of the House of Merkel October 3, 2016 “And the deep and dank tarn closed silently over the fragments of the House of Usher.” – Edgar Allan Poe With mighty Deutsche Bank, the largest lender in Germany and symbol of the country’s economic might, in dire straits, Germans are belatedly waking up to the nightmarish reality that the supposedly masterly inactivity of their wildly [...]
Let’s celebrate the incredible generosity of spirit that powers London’s businesses October 3, 2016 In my role as lord mayor, I lead business delegations to key international markets to strengthen commercial ties and promote Britain as one of the best places in which to invest and trade. I am always struck by the positive perception of the UK as not only a good place to do business, but also as a [...]
Make Budgets mean Budgets again: We need far better tax policy-making October 3, 2016 At lunchtime today, Philip Hammond will stand up in Birmingham and make his first major speech as chancellor. He will be aiming to reassure audiences that the government will manage the economic consequences of Brexit – and will give the first indications of his approach. The Institute for Government, the Institute for Fiscal Studies and [...]
Accountancy must adapt to survive in this brave new world October 3, 2016 Charles Darwin would have made a brilliant accountant. It’s not just his forensic brain or curious nature that would have made him successful, but his understanding that it’s not the strongest or most intelligent that survives, but the most adaptable. Look at the world and think back five years. Rapid developments in technology and regulation, the [...]
As the Tory Party conference kicks off, should Theresa May use the opportunity to call an early general election? October 3, 2016 John Lehal, managing director at Insight Consulting Group, says Yes. The case for an early election is overwhelming. Like Cameron, Major and Callaghan before her, Theresa May is finding out just how difficult governing with a small majority can be. The government is divided on what Brexit should look like, while her domestic agenda, including the [...]
The new sick man of Europe is the continent’s entire banking sector September 29, 2016 The “sick man of Europe” has been a popular phrase for describing countries in Europe beset by economic woes since the mid-nineteenth century. The UK, Italy, Germany, France and Greece, among others, have all borne this unwanted diagnosis at some point. But in 2016, this moniker can no longer be solely applied at a country level. [...]