Why Ireland only sees risks from Britain leaving the EU June 8, 2016 It would be nice to be able to shrug my shoulders, sit back and observe the current UK debate on the country’s future in Europe as a detached spectator. That, I am afraid, is not an option for Ireland. We are too close to the UK in all sorts of ways for us to be [...]
The poor state of macroeconomics justifies scepticism with Brexit disaster forecasts June 8, 2016 David Cameron has tried to frame the Brexit debate as essentially about economics. Standing with him is the overwhelming consensus of economists themselves, from academics to the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Yet their pronouncements are not having that much impact on the electorate if the polls are to be believed. There is justification for this [...]
Sadiq Khan won’t improve life for London’s renters by wrapping buy-to-let landlords in red tape June 8, 2016 A “referendum on housing.” That was how Sadiq Khan described the London mayoral contest. Access to housing that Londoners can afford is certainly critical to the future success of the capital, and at the heart of the mayor’s plans are substantial reforms to private rented property. As the voice of private landlords, we welcome debate about [...]
After grilling Mike Ashley about Sports Direct working practices, is it fair for MPs to demand business leaders account for themselves before Parliament? June 8, 2016 Ioannis Ioannou, associate professor of strategy and entrepreneurship at London Business School, says Yes. Yes, it is fair. To the extent that Parliament acts in good will to protect the long-term interests of society at large (as opposed to serving short-term political objectives), demanding transparency and accountability from companies that have a material impact on societal [...]
London’s rapid growth fuels our polarised job market June 7, 2016 Last year was another successful one for the capital’s job creation machine. Employment rose by 2.5 percent in 2015, beating the UK-wide rate of two percent, providing work to another 107,400 people. But these gains weren’t evenly shared. Since 2008 London has seen phenomenal growth of very high and very low skilled jobs, whilst those in the [...]
Women must have a crucial role in saving the high street – a retailer’s survival may depend on it June 7, 2016 Retailers will breathe a sigh of relief today as the joint British Retail Consortium (BRC) and KPMG sales monitor for May shows a modest recovery on the high street. But the respite may be brief as customers remain cautious with their spending. The sector is facing many challenges. Too many retailers are disconnected from their [...]
Ignore Remain’s Brexit deceptions: EU backers are the real protectionists June 7, 2016 Following Michael Gove’s impressive performance in the Sky “debate” last week, the Stronger In campaign was always going to clutch at straws to find some supposed slip-up to exploit. This time it was Gove’s admission that “I cannot say that everybody in their current job will keep their job” following a Brexit. This, the Remain [...]
Euro 2016: Think like a fund manager to build a winning fantasy football team June 7, 2016 Fantasy Football has developed into one of the world’s most popular online sports games. Forbes estimates that 1.2bn hours are spent playing the US version every year. But although the game is light hearted fun for most people, its clear parallels with asset management show what a serious business it can be. In Fantasy Football, [...]
Banks face a storm of new regulation in the aftermath of the EU referendum – and they’re worryingly unprepared June 7, 2016 June 24. The Brexit referendum result is in the books. Everyone wakes up dazed and wonders “what next?” The City, in particular, will have work to do. Normal politics has taken a bit of a holiday but the bureaucratic processes steadily reshaping financial services regulation have not. To give just a few examples: tax rules [...]
As Brexit momentum sends sterling tumbling, is a weaker pound really such a bad thing for the UK economy? June 7, 2016 Vicky Pryce, board member of the Centre for Economics and Business Research, a former government adviser, and co-author of It’s the Economy, Stupid. Economics for Voters, says Yes. The external Monetary Policy Committee member Kristin Forbes recently pointed out that the burgeoning UK current account deficit has been more driven by a deterioration in the investment [...]