One year after Amber Rudd challenged the Big Six energy providers over pricing, there is still more to do to get a better deal for energy consumers May 31, 2016 One year ago, energy secretary Amber Rudd wrote to the Big Six to demand why hard-pressed consumers weren’t seeing bigger reductions in their gas and electricity bills. Fresh to her role in charge of the department for energy and climate change, she challenged suppliers to explain why they had failed to pass on significant wholesale [...]
London’s public toilets shame the capital and they’re disappearing fast: We need a private sector revolution to end this crisis May 31, 2016 A BBC investigation shows that the number of public toilets has continued to fall, with nearly 1,800 closing nationwide in the last 10 years. There is no legal obligation on councils to provide conveniences, and closing them is often an easy way to save money when cash is short. London’s provision is now abysmal, with [...]
EU referendum: A Brexit doesn’t necessarily spell doom and gloom for London’s property market – fortune will favour the brave May 31, 2016 While a vote to leave the EU on 23 June looks less likely by the day, landlords, letting agents and corporate relocation specialists shouldn’t worry too much about a Brexit. Whether we wake up on the 24 June ‘in’ or ‘out’ of Europe, it will be several months before the true consequences of either outcome become clear. [...]
London mustn’t dither its way into stagnation May 31, 2016 Funds that take a long-term view are sitting on an estimated $117bn (£80bn) which they would like to invest into infrastructure projects, including in the UK, according to Andy Rose, the new chief executive of the Global Infrastructure Investor Association (GIIA). Meanwhile, London is hungry for investment into essential services such as housing and transport. So [...]
These three perilous trends spell disaster for Saudi Arabia May 31, 2016 “How the mighty have fallen!”– 2 Samuel 1:27 What a difference a year makes in terms of political risk in the energy markets. Just 12 short months ago, all talk was of a resurgent Russia and corresponding security of supply issues in Eastern Europe, as the Kremlin seemed the world’s greatest destabilising force. Traditionally stable [...]
Why the City of London will be better off if we leave the European Union May 31, 2016 Too much of the debate about what the European Union referendum means for the City has been frustratingly narrow and short-term, confined to the immediate financial implications of leaving. Far too little attention has been paid to the longer-term health of the City, in particular the implications of remaining inside the EU. Inside the EU, [...]
What the quiet rise of Tooting says about the challenges facing Sadiq Khan as mayor May 31, 2016 As with all great cities, London has many faces. We all know the stereotypes: West London is for old money and new oligarchs, North London is for intellectuals and media luvvies, East London is for hipsters and entrepreneurs, and as for South London, well that’s not actually so clear. West and North have historically been [...]
What is more likely: Britain voting to leave the European Union or Donald Trump becoming US President? May 31, 2016 Ed Bowsher, deputy editor and senior analyst at Share Radio, says Brexit. I said in January in City A.M. that Donald Trump would be the Republican candidate but would not reach the White House, and I still think a Trump victory is very unlikely. Granted, some polls currently put him in the lead, but until now [...]
Immigration should be part of Brexit debate May 27, 2016 Back in the early days of the referendum, when (on the pro-Brexit side, at least) different factions were vying for the official designation, we heard a lot about the different tone of the contenders. One group, Leave.EU, was said to be associated more with UKIP and, therefore, would represent a campaign based more on the [...]
Forward misguidance: Unreliable central banks are fuelling market volatility May 27, 2016 At the bottom of every financial prediction or statement, often buried under mountains of small print, is a warning that past performance is not necessarily indicative of future results. This is true whether we look at stock markets, investment funds or central banks. Since 2013, however, some of the world’s largest financial institutions have been [...]