Steel crisis: Protectionism is a disastrous policy – but don’t thank the EU for banning Parliament from even considering it April 8, 2016 Protectionism is bad for you. It stifles the free exchange of goods and services, it pushes up prices, and it kills jobs – not just in the competitor nation whose trade is blocked, but in the nation which believes it is protecting itself by raising trade barriers. Take steel, the latest fashionable focus for those [...]
Far left Bernie Sanders has exposed Hillary Clinton’s joyless campaign for what it really is April 8, 2016 Hillary Clinton is facing a growing challenge in the Democratic primary from an enthusiast for food rationing. No joke. The Daily Beast’s Michael Moynihan has dug up comments Bernie Sanders (then mayor of Burlington, Vermont) made in the 1980s, in which he praised countries where “people line up for food”, agreed that “bread lines are [...]
In defence of “tax havens”: Why the world would be much poorer without offshore finance April 8, 2016 Offshore financial centres (OFCs) have taken a bashing in the press in the last few days following the Mossack Fonseca leaks. But the truth is that the major OFCs are extremely well regulated and have been so for many years. It is far harder to set up a company in Jersey than in the UK, [...]
Is the government wrong to be using £9.3m of taxpayers’ money to fund pro-EU literature? April 8, 2016 Harry Fairhead, a policy analyst at the TaxPayers’ Alliance, says Yes. The government should never waste money on the sort of patronising propaganda that will be landing on our doormats. Taxpayers across the country have different views on the EU, so it is abhorrent for the government to be using our money to tell us what [...]
EU referendum: London will be stronger if the UK remains as a semi-detached member of the club April 7, 2016 Any freedom gained by Brexit will come at the expense of opportunity and London will bear the brunt if Britain votes to leave. London will be stronger if the UK remains as a semi-detached but full member of the club, as negotiated by Prime Minister David Cameron in his reform deal. London has flourished by being [...]
Six reasons why London’s property market won’t collapse this year April 7, 2016 A recent report by UBS argued that London’s property market in London is exposed to the world's highest bubble risk and many would agree. But the reality is there are several good reasons why prices won't fall anytime soon. Here are just six. 1. Population growth London’s population grows faster than the UK national average and the supply of [...]
As the London Mayoral election looms, it’s time for Zac Goldsmith and Sadiq Khan to think big on housing April 7, 2016 With just under a month to go until London votes for a new Mayor, and less than a week until City A.M. hosts a packed-out hustings between the two main candidates, one familiar issue has raised its rather ugly head – the soaring cost of living in our capital. Some housing market analysts believe that government [...]
Industry 4.0: How disruptive technology can rescue British manufacturing April 7, 2016 Industry 4.0 is revolutionising the way international manufacturers and construction companies approach business, but the UK has a long way to go if its industry is to keep pace with its European rivals. This new world is based on digitisation, which blurs the line between the virtual and the physical. Connected products and “smart” machines [...]
Leviathan’s tentacles: How the true size of the state is hidden from the electorate April 7, 2016 The Institute of Economic Affairs published a “Nanny State” Index last week, showing the UK was the third most meddling country in the EU for intervening in lifestyle choices around cigarettes, tobacco, food and alcohol. This reminds us yet again that the Total Intervention Index (TII) for the state includes both tax and spend and [...]
Why over-estimating the risk of terror just hands victory to the terrorists April 7, 2016 The terrible attacks in Belgium last month have further escalated fears of terrorism across Europe. As a result, policy-makers all over the continent are calling for new measures to fight extremism and populist politicians have been quick to demand the closure of Europe’s borders. But the clear risk is that the costs of such measures could [...]