Mondo and Pact: A tale of two crowdfunds and why they both matter to the market March 23, 2016 Just weeks ago a startup named ‘Mondo’ became the latest company to smash a new crowdfunding record. Demand to pump cash into the mobile-first challenger bank was so high it crashed Crowdcube’s servers when its campaign to raise £1m was first launched. A few days later, with some extra computing power in place, it tried [...]
It’s nearly the end of the tax year – but before getting stuck into next year’s investments, do consumers really understand how your Isa works? March 23, 2016 Since its introduction, the Isa has proved to be one of the most popular savings vehicles of choice. Every year, in the run up to the end of the tax year, savers continue to put billions of pounds away. Figures from HMRC show that in 2014/15, around 13 million adults subscribed to an Isa and since they first became [...]
Brussels attacks: Europe must show iron-strong resolve in the face of terrorism March 23, 2016 Crowds run for safety, though they can’t be sure where to find it. Survivors emerge, shocked and injured. An aftermath unfolds: emergency vehicles, the wounded treated on the streets, a confused public marshalled by frantic officials. It seems we witness these scenes – these hallmarks of horror – with increasing regularity. Yesterday morning, Brussels became [...]
Cadbury has Creme Egg over its face after recipe change March 23, 2016 When a favourite treat has a “new, improved recipe” there is always a tendency to believe that the manufacturer has simply found a way of making it more cheaply. As a result, consumers often get turned off. With Easter approaching, it’s time to see how this syndrome has affected one of the nation’s most-loved treats [...]
George Osborne delivered a Budget that backs Britain’s Millennials March 23, 2016 They're nearly 14m strong and the largest cohort in our workforce. From the factory floor to the trading floor, the Millennial generation or “Generation Y” – those born between 1980 and 2000 – are at the heart of Britain’s economic success story. Among their ranks are Britain’s growing number of apprentices, young professionals, first-time buyers, [...]
Brussels attacks: This pathetic death cult will only win if we lose our nerve in the face of terror March 23, 2016 “Death, be not proud, though some have called thee/ Mighty and dreadful, for thou are not so; For those that thou thinks’t thou dost overthrow/ Die not, poor Death, nor yet cans't thou kill me” – John Donne, Holy Sonnets The sickening regularity of radical Islam’s attack on Western culture struck with its almost metronomic rhythm [...]
The economic case against Brexit is stacking up fast: A vote to leave is a vote for a less prosperous Britain March 23, 2016 This week, the CBI warned that leaving the EU would cause a serious shock to the UK economy. That’s after an independent PwC study found that, by 2020, the cost of Brexit to UK GDP could be as much as £100bn with nearly 1m jobs lost. That would prove a real blow to living standards – [...]
Technology is increasing inequality – and it’s nothing to do with artificial intelligence or robots March 23, 2016 Inequality is one of the major political topics of our times. Rather like a Shakespearean tragedy, the current splits in the high command of the Conservative Party have many themes. But an important one, and the ostensible reason for Iain Duncan Smith’s resignation, is the treatment of the working poor, a concept which until fairly recently [...]
As Ed Miliband weighs in, will his criticism of Leavers as wanting a “free market” Britain do more harm than good for Remain? March 23, 2016 Diego Zuluaga, who works for the Institute of Economic Affairs and European think tank EpiCenter, says Yes. The EU has done the most good when it has promoted open markets and free trade between countries. Europeans are much better off today thanks to the ability to move capital freely, the opportunity for talented individuals to [...]
Brussels cats are back: But why do we turn to internet cat memes like Grumpy Cat, Lolcats and #BrusselsLockdown in a time of crisis? March 22, 2016 Laughing at cats on the internet is nothing new. But using them as a tool to laugh in times of crisis could well be. Belgian authorities asked locals to avoid posting about police raids via social media for fear that information could aid terrorists, last year. People complied to this potentially aggravating censorship in an unconventional way. From hovercraft felines [...]