President Dilma Rousseff’s impeachment is no coup – but Brazil’s best chance of saving itself April 19, 2016 Late on Sunday evening, the lower house of the Brazilian Congress voted by a two to one margin in support of the impeachment of Dilma Rousseff, the former Marxist guerrilla who has served as the country’s President since 2011. The proceedings, conducted against the backdrop of a spiralling public debt crisis and rising unemployment, are [...]
As its latest talks in Doha end in complete failure, has oil cartel Opec now lost all credibility? April 19, 2016 William Lamond, senior investment manager at Canaccord Genuity Wealth Management, says Yes. November 2014 – Saudi Arabia (Opec’s only true swing producer) decided to defend market share instead of cutting production to support pricing. The belief? A short-term weakness in crude oil prices would significantly reduce non-Opec supply. Sixteen months later, crude oil prices have fallen, [...]
Shadow chancellor John McDonnell seems to be transformed – is he the real power behind Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn? April 18, 2016 Firebrand shadow chancellor John McDonnell has undergone a transformation in recent weeks. Whereas Jeremy Corbyn remains every inch the protester (albeit one with a bigger stage to play on) McDonnell has adapted to his new office with a professionalism that eludes his leader. The central complaint among Labour insiders is that Corbyn just isn't very good [...]
Five Eyes: This intelligence-sharing pillar of UK security is in peril if we stay inside the EU April 18, 2016 The true nature of how the intelligence world works is far from the James Bond potboilers beloved of us all. In practice, the intelligence arena is far more bureaucratic, far more organised, and far more important than the fertile, fevered imagination of Ian Fleming. And quite possibly the most important cog in the wheel of [...]
Seafaring Britain’s future prosperity depends on international cooperation April 18, 2016 Having been born in Sweden, with a Norwegian grandmother, and after visiting Finland countless times on business, my current trip to these Nordic nations almost feels like a homecoming. Many of the topics to be discussed during this week-long trip are equally familiar. The growing global maritime industry will be one of them, and, as [...]
Costly EU regulation has not made financial services safer or better – but Brexit is no silver bullet April 18, 2016 The City is split when it comes to Brexit. Certainly, the larger City institutions with significant EU business tend to side with Remain. However, smaller companies and those with a more global business model are more divided. The supporters of the EU value the Single Market. They seem to believe that it promotes free trade [...]
We’ve given over a million people a pay rise: Now here’s how we’ll achieve full employment April 15, 2016 Today marks the launch of the first ever UK Employability Day, when businesses dedicated to helping people into work will open their doors to showcase what they do best. It’s a fantastic idea by the Employment Related Services Association that will see more than 70 employment centres across the country take part – including several [...]
Why capitalism, not stereotypical politicians, should decide whether the London Stock Exchange merger goes ahead April 15, 2016 It's always fun to see national stereotypes on display. Bill Cash loudly insisting that the Germans are too unimaginative and inflexible to be allowed to run the London Stock Exchange. Ulrich Caspar not exactly disproving him with the insistence that any and every stock exchange must be under the control of a provincial government with the [...]
EU referendum: Jeremy Corbyn has laid out his case for remaining in the EU – but his version of Europe would be the worst of all worlds April 15, 2016 Believe it or not, Jeremy Corbyn’s grudging intervention in the EU debate yesterday was startlingly refreshing. The Labour leader’s “warts and all” assessment that, on balance, perhaps it would be better to stay in the EU despite its many problems was far more reflective of the views of most Remain supporters than the starry-eyed arguments [...]
Sadiq Khan’s policies would only make London’s housing crisis worse April 15, 2016 When Londoners go to the polls for the mayoral election on 5 May, there’s no doubt that the issue of housing will be at the top of many voters’ minds. Over half of Londoners now mention housing as one of the most important issues facing the capital – an increase of 13 percentage points compared [...]