The Brexit disaster movie won’t happen – Britain can secure the deals it needs for a strong future outside the EU January 29, 2016 Something strange is happening to Britain’s Europhiles. Over the past few years I have had the great pleasure of debating many talented and articulate spokespeople. But recently, there has been a bizarre trend among those who want Britain to stay in the EU at all costs. They now seem to spend their time describing a fantasy [...]
With GDP up 0.5 per cent in the fourth quarter of 2015, should we worry that services are propping up growth? January 29, 2016 Chris Williamson, chief economist at Markit, says Yes. The dependence on services is a concern, but no surprise. Manufacturing, more exposed to overseas competition and demand, was faring well in 2014, before being hit by a strong pound and weak global growth. But this leaves us with an upturn that remains reliant largely on [...]
Mayoral elections 2016: Will Sadiq Khan be Jeremy Corbyn’s man inside City Hall? January 28, 2016 An election campaign is as much a battle to define one’s opponent as it is to define oneself. This is particularly true of a campaign that boils down to a straight choice between two candidates. The London mayoral election presents a perfect case study of this struggle, as Labour’s Sadiq Khan and the Tory Zac Goldsmith [...]
Business is better off in the EU – now it’s time to say so January 28, 2016 After a life working in and running large businesses like Marks & Spencer, I have been asked why I wanted to chair the Britain Stronger In Europe campaign. The answer is simple. Nothing is more important for British business at the moment than our place in the European Union being under threat. Being in the [...]
Megacity London: Our next mayor needs the ambition to match the scale of the challenge January 28, 2016 The next mayor of London will have some difficult decisions to make. Forecast to reach 9m residents by 2020 and 10m by 2030, the capital’s soon-to-be status as a “megacity” will bring with it both significant challenges and opportunities. This evening, the main candidates standing to be the next mayor will be setting out their [...]
Iran is open for business – but don’t expect UK banks to rapidly increase their exposure January 28, 2016 Could you be doing business – or even holidaying – in Iran in the not too distant future? One of the Middle East’s largest economies and biggest oil producers has been off limits to most Western businesses for years as a result of extensive sanctions. But it is now rejoining the international fold, following the [...]
As RBS shares plunge on the news of a £2.5bn profit hit, should the government delay privatising the bank? January 28, 2016 David Buik, market commentator at Panmure Gordon, says Yes. Yesterday’s announcement that RBS has had to make further provisions of £2.5bn for the mis-selling of mortgages in the US and PPI, as well as writing back Coutts’s valuation, should have come as no surprise. The task of both former chief executive Stephen Hester and more recently [...]
Google’s tax bill is not an excuse to bash big companies January 28, 2016 Big business is seen as “above the law”. That was the line from the former Downing Street strategy chief, Steve Hilton, as part of his intervention yesterday into the Google tax row. Let’s be clear. Business must pay its taxes. Period. But this week’s debate should be about Google and its tax affairs and not [...]
Tesco angers investors as storm clouds gather January 27, 2016 Just two weeks ago, Tesco chief executive Dave Lewis was hailing a “strong Christmas” as evidence of the retail giant “making progress”. UK like-for-like sales had risen 1.3 per cent in the six weeks ending 9 January, and Lewis was particularly pleased with international growth. When good news is hard to come by, every little [...]
I’ll give London’s businesses the support and freedom they need to thrive January 27, 2016 From tech startups to street markets, black cabs to global banks, London’s businesses are what make our city great. As mayor, I’ll make it my business to deliver for them. Last week I launched my Action Plan for Greater London: more homes, better transport, cleaner air and safer streets. These are issues that matter to [...]