Only bold thinking will make Brexit a success July 22, 2016 Theresa May was always going to get a frostier reception in Paris than Berlin. The most unpopular President in French history, Francois Hollande has proven incapable of resisting the rise of his anti-EU challenger Marine Le Pen and of reviving France’s motionless economy. In a desperate last throw of the dice, Hollande no doubt sees Brexit [...]
As Tesla unveils plans for a “solar-roof-with-battery product”, will Elon Musk’s company make money any time soon? July 22, 2016 James Hind, chief executive of Carwow, says Yes. Tesla has built a highly desirable brand, as shown by the huge number of pre-orders for the Model 3. Demand for its cars will therefore be strong – even if other manufacturers manage to rival its electric technology. The company is spending a lot on setting up supply, [...]
Beware the unintended consequences of Theresa May’s flawed executive pay proposals July 21, 2016 Theresa May is absolutely right to ensure that the UK does not work for just “the privileged few”. But her suggestions for reforming executive pay – while well-intentioned – are not backed up by evidence and may well backfire. Before addressing the specific suggestions, let’s first ask whether the government should be intervening in the first [...]
Provincial England has taken over Westminster – and it’s put state intervention back in vogue July 21, 2016 The EU referendum paved the way for the industrial strategy now defining Theresa May’s first weeks in office. Why? Because the provincial English working class and lower middle class forced the country out of its status quo and administered a huge shock to the system. Politicians are realising that options they never previously considered are [...]
Trump won the nomination battle – but Ted Cruz’s remarkable speech kicked off the war for the soul of conservatism July 21, 2016 "Vote your conscience”, senator Ted Cruz asked of the crowd at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, Ohio on Wednesday night. That’s when the boos started rolling in. “Vote for candidates up and down the ticket who you trust to defend our freedom and to be faithful to the Constitution,” the former candidate for the [...]
Leaving the Single Market would blow a £14bn hole in the public finances July 21, 2016 Before the referendum, George Osborne claimed a Brexit vote would require an emergency Budget of tax hikes and big spending cuts. While the new chancellor has said that he will wait until the Autumn Statement before he makes any changes to fiscal policy, it is unclear what he will choose to do. But what is [...]
Melania Trump’s speech was too banal to be plagiarised: Political wives excel at vomit-inducing cliches, but business is worse July 21, 2016 When Melania Trump claimed that she wrote her infamous speech at the Republican National Convention herself, I believed her. So bad was that speech. Apparently, Ms Trump’s mother had taught her to work hard, be true to her word and respect other people. To paraphrase Janan Ganesh’s recent article on Theresa May’s first speech as [...]
In or out of Europe, the UK is an innovation economy – here’s how it can stay that way July 21, 2016 Forget Brexit for one moment and allow yourself time for some good news: Britain is going through a craft-making boom. Far from a hobby industry, it now contributes over £3.4bn to the UK economy annually – helping design and create everything from surgical implants, to drug catheters, to cars. And with targeted support from government [...]
Nobody wins from a house price crash July 21, 2016 The full effects of the referendum on Britain’s economy are still unknown. Stocks are faring relatively well, with the FTSE 100 bursting over 6,700 and the FTSE 250 hitting a post-vote high. The pound remains slumped below $1.32, however, while consumer confidence appears to have taken a tangible knock. Many business leaders are worried, and some [...]
Italy’s banks won’t destroy the Eurozone – in the short term July 20, 2016 The euro crisis appears to have moved on. If the newspapers are to be believed, a crisis once centred on Greece has now crossed the Adriatic to Italy. The Economist recently ran with a leader article entitled The Italian Job, which argued that “at best Italy’s weak banks will throttle the country’s growth; at worst, [...]