I quit government over Heathrow expansion: This is why I changed my mind August 15, 2016 I resigned as parliamentary private secretary to the minister of state at the Home Office and Treasury in 2009 over government proposals for expansion at Heathrow. The plan was unsympathetic to local residents, it ignored concerns about both environmental and noise pollution, and it didn’t offer enough in the way of increased surface access to [...]
Forging closer ties with booming India will unlock vast opportunities for Britain August 15, 2016 On the eve of Indian independence on 15 August, 1947 (whose anniversary was celebrated yesterday), the country’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru said that “the achievement we celebrate today is but a step, an opening of opportunity, to the greater triumphs and achievements that await us.” India’s independence was not even 70 years ago, yet the [...]
Consumers want regulation – and Uber shows why markets regulate better than the state August 15, 2016 Waiting in the sweltering heat of Washington, DC for 10 minutes for an Uber, I was desperate to get into an air conditioned car. So when one pulled up right in front of me bearing the Uber sticker, my immediate reaction was relief. It was five minutes into the journey, when I glanced at the [...]
As Santander slashes rates on its market-leading 123 account, will this be a lost decade for Britain’s savers? August 15, 2016 Danny Cox, a chartered financial planner who works at Hargreaves Lansdown, says Yes. The nightmare for savers continues with little sign of respite. The few bright spots, such as the Santander 123 account, are following an inevitable path of rate decline. Savers now face a lost decade of returns on their cash. Inflation rises on the horizon [...]
Responsible nationalism: This new ideology could be the antidote to both Trump and Brexit August 15, 2016 Britons will be forgiven for still being a little anxious over the future of their country after voting to quit the European Union in June. There’s not been much to chew on in the weeks following a referendum that seemed like the UK had hit the reset button on globalism itself. But amid the vast reams [...]
Whitehall needs to get its Brexit act together August 15, 2016 The official website of Chevening House, the country residence of the foreign secretary, still lists Philip Hammond as the present occupier. That they have yet to update the site since Boris Johnson took over as the UK’s most senior diplomat is perhaps a reflection of the confusion caused by Theresa May (somewhat mischievously) asking Boris to [...]
Who owns America? Why Donald Trump will lose – but not by much August 15, 2016 To put it mildly, by any terrestrial standards Donald Trump has not had a good week. Be it seeming to threaten Hillary Clinton with assassination or stubbornly refusing to back down on his Oliver Stone-like claim that President Obama is the founder of Isis, Trump has stretched the already fraying bonds of American credulity to breaking point. [...]
Fintech is thriving in Edinburgh too – and it’s great news for the whole of the UK August 15, 2016 One of the good things about the Rio Olympics, quite aside from the sport, is the fact that it reminds us of four years ago when we hosted the Games. It was a month of celebration and positivity for the whole UK, not just London, and it showcased the best that Britain has to offer. [...]
Nuclear and renewables might keep the lights on – but nothing beats Britain’s home grown gas August 15, 2016 In the wake of the delay to signing the Hinkley C contract, there has been heated debate about nuclear and the gap left when coal-fired power stations are decommissioned. I’m a great supporter of both renewable and nuclear electricity as part of the energy mix. However, for the UK to meet its climate targets by [...]
Following a raft of unimpressive data, can the Chinese economy avoid a hard landing? August 15, 2016 Craig Botham, emerging markets economist at Schroders, says Yes. Though marking a deceleration and disappointing expectations, the data does not suggest a hard landing is imminent. Rather, it remains commensurate with a soft landing; a gradual deceleration in the growth rate, to be expected after years of enviable growth. The most likely trigger for a hard [...]