Sir Win Bischoff: Trustworthy information isn’t enough – trustworthy behaviour in a company is equally as important September 20, 2016 What can business do to rebuild public trust? There may be no silver bullet, but there is no doubt that corporate behaviours need to be closely aligned with long-term value creation for all stakeholders. With the government and others taking a close interest in issues that portray business as out of touch, firms face a [...]
Uber’s “heartless” New York price surge actually shows the vital importance of market forces September 20, 2016 "How could they be so heartless?” declared a newspaper on Facebook. “Shame on you” screamed the paper’s headline. No, this was not about the despicable bomb attack in Manhattan’s Chelsea neighbourhood on Saturday. It was rather a public shaming for the ride-sharing app Uber after customers complained of increased prices following the explosion. With a [...]
Britain’s Brexit branding: A marketing lesson Theresa May should take to the United Nations September 19, 2016 Today, Prime Minister Theresa May will make her debut at the UN General Assembly in New York. In the wake of Britain’s vote to leave the European Union, it is a significant opportunity for her to define the nation’s brand in a post-Brexit world and to lay out her vision for the UK’s role in international [...]
Dear Juncker, more integration is not the answer to EU woes. Focusing on cooperation between states might do the trick September 19, 2016 The EU’s head honcho, Jean-Claude Juncker, was in the news last week for the televisual highlight of all good Europeans: his annual State of the Union address. It was a sombre affair, unlikely to cheer up anyone’s Wednesday morning. It sounded like a eulogy, and Juncker should at least be commended for his honesty. Addressing members [...]
Reality has finally caught up with Germany’s disastrous Chancellor Merkel September 19, 2016 Merkeln (German verb): To dither, do nothing or fail to take decisions I have always thought the German stereotype for humourlessness is slightly unfair. Exhibit A for my contrary view is that a new verb, Merkeln, has recently entered the German language. Any culture that can coin a word to describe the haplessness of its [...]
China sees Brexit as a huge opportunity to forge new trading links with Britain September 19, 2016 I returned last week from a key overseas trade visit as lord mayor, to China and Hong Kong. I was accompanied by a number of City firms, and because the trip followed the G20 Summit, held just before our arrival there, all of them expected an exciting and illuminating visit. One of the big topics [...]
Following defections to the Tories and the election of new leader Diane James, is Ukip a busted flush? September 16, 2016 Ed Bowsher, deputy editor of Share Radio, says Yes. Ukip was founded to take Britain out of the European Union. That’s almost certainly going to happen, so the party has no core purpose anymore. Prime Minister Theresa May has said she’ll take Britain out of the EU, and even if she wanted to change tack, a [...]
Why the Single Market is the problem – not the solution September 16, 2016 With UK exports at £669bn in 2015, it hardly needs to be said that trade is critical to the UK economy. Despite this huge number, however, the UK has the largest current account deficit in the G7, approaching 6 per cent of GDP. Understanding the reasons for the UK’s trade deficit is critical to designing [...]
I want to build a national consensus on Britain’s bright post-Brexit future September 15, 2016 Napoleon is said to have once described Britain as a nation of shopkeepers. It was not meant as a compliment, but it highlighted one of our country’s biggest and most enduring strengths. We are one of the great trading nations of the world and the decision taken by the people to leave the EU will [...]
The public are far less hostile to high levels of immigration than you think September 15, 2016 During elections, complex issues are radically simplified. Both the campaigns and the media are responsible for it, but this is reasonable – busy people have little time to investigate the merits of complicated policy ideas. As such, the immigration debate that took place during the EU referendum was depicted as a choice between continued large-scale [...]