Don’t dismiss regulation outright: New measures can be a lifeline for gambling addicts April 8, 2016 The gambling industry has had a hard time lately, with profits suffering with tightening legislation and a number of high profile criticisms from campaigners and the distressed public. But despite the sector's problems, it is fair to say gambling is on the rise – and the traditional British pastime is becoming a life changing addiction [...]
Marks & Spencers has released another set of disappointing numbers – is the new boss the same as the old boss? April 8, 2016 So here we are again. Marks & Spencer has put out another set of dismal results, marking the 17th quarter of clothing sales declines out of 18 at what is the nation’s defining retailer. The story was similar to so many that we’ve heard before: general merchandise was a disappointment (although admittedly, the 2.7 per cent [...]
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 [...]