Boards must be the voice of reason for young entrepreneurs like Tinder’s Sean Rad November 20, 2015 An interview given this week by Sean Rad, the founder and chief executive of dating site Tinder, was eyebrow-raising for several reasons. First was the description of a woman “begging” him for sex and an admission that he conducted rather ominous-sounding “background research” on a female journalist who was critical of Tinder. But more importantly, Rad [...]
Failure to properly measure public sector productivity is hindering real reform November 19, 2015 On Wednesday, the chancellor will announce how he will get better value for money from the £4 trillion the government will spend over the course of this Parliament. He will explain which budgets are to be protected and which to be cut. More importantly, it is hoped he will set out a clear message for [...]
Government risks jeopardising UK competitiveness if it is over-zealous in corporate tax reform November 19, 2015 At the Autumn Statement next week, we should get some indication of how the government intends to put into practice the biggest change to international taxation for almost a century. For the UK, this presents both a huge challenge and an opportunity. The stakes could hardly be higher because the proposed changes go to the [...]
With the HBOS report published, is banning directors the best way to deal with excessive risk-taking in banking? November 19, 2015 Oliver Parry, corporate governance adviser at the Institute of Directors, says Yes The HBOS report is a timely reminder that, when directors fail, companies fail. Banking regulation is tougher than it was, but leaner balance sheets and ring-fences won’t save us from the next crisis. Fish still rot from the head and banks will always [...]
The City needs to talk about mental health November 19, 2015 Mental health is one of the last great taboos in our society. While huge strides forward have been made when it comes to physical disability, sexuality, equality and diversity, it remains the case that too few people feel able to talk openly about their mental health. A lack of understanding, a perceived social stigma or [...]
It’s time investors got behind our world-beating creative industries November 18, 2015 Chinese President Xi Jinping’s state visit to the UK last month was largely overshadowed by concerns regarding his country’s impact on Britain’s steel industry. Even so, almost £40bn worth of trade and investment deals were announced during the visit, yet one significant part of the UK economy was overlooked in the commentary: the creative industries [...]
The world won’t tackle global warming if we deny the vital role of clean coal power November 18, 2015 It is just a few weeks until heads of state assemble in Paris for the UN Conference on Climate Change. At the heart of the meeting’s ambition will be an attempt to secure an agreement, applicable to all countries, to keep global warming below the two degree Celsius target. As the recent discussions in [...]
Father government: Liberals have failed to devise an alternative to the parental role of the state November 18, 2015 Nobel Laureate James M Buchanan was the driving force behind the public choice school of economics, which showed that market failure alone wasn’t a justification for state intervention. You had to consider the consequences of state failure as well. One of his best papers, to my mind, was also perhaps one of his shortest, [...]
Will having Ken Livingstone as co-chair of its Trident review destroy the Labour Party’s credibility on defence? November 18, 2015 Chris Rumfitt, founder and chief executive of Corporate Reputation Consulting, says Yes In the wake of the Paris attacks, security has risen to the top of the political agenda. As the world brimmed with anger and calculated how best to eradicate the Isis threat, Jeremy Corbyn decided it was the right moment to appoint Ken [...]
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn is way out of his depth when it comes to security November 18, 2015 Alastair Campbell knows a thing or two about winning elections, and though the current Labour party isn’t in a very pro-Blair kind of mood, they would be wise to listen to the old spin doctor just one last time. “You cannot win a general election if [you are] behind on [the] economy and leadership,” he [...]