EU referendum polls: Eurosceptics’ unholy alliance with the anti-EU hard left – your enemy’s enemy isn’t your friend October 26, 2015 With the Prime Minister apparently arranging panicked meetings of special advisers to aid the floundering Britain Stronger in Europe campaign, the UK’s EU referendum debate is effectively underway. Polls appear to show Brexiteers on the march. With the EU stumbling from one crisis to the next, and the poverty of positive messages emanating from Europhiles, [...]
Cyber security talent shortage: Business is struggling to keep up with sophisticated criminals October 26, 2015 Concerns about cyber security are growing in prominence, but companies and law enforcement agencies are still playing catch-up in their attempts to counter ever more sophisticated cyber criminals. While the cyber attacks on TalkTalk and Ashley Madison have made headlines around the world, the day-to-day business of protecting a company against attack goes largely unnoticed. [...]
As it receives a mauling in the House of Lords, will tax credit cuts be this government’s poll tax? October 26, 2015 Tim Farron, leader of the Liberal Democrats, says Yes The Conservative Party’s cuts to tax credits are as misguided as their attempts to bring in the poll tax. This is effectively a tax rise targeted towards millions of the lowest paid people in our country. And remember, these people are doing the right thing – [...]
TalkTalk cyber attack: Give her some credit, Dido Harding is facing the music October 26, 2015 There are many questions to be asked of TalkTalk, after the company admitted last week that it had been the target of a serious hacking. We live in a time during which online financial activity – whether it’s transferring cash to your friends, gambling on the football, or paying your phone bill – is considered [...]
George Osborne has backed the wrong Asian emerging market horse October 25, 2015 Give him his due; George Osborne is a clever man. He has rightly seen that a becalmed EU will not provide the UK with exciting new macroeconomic avenues for growth – for that he must look eastwards. This brainwave amounts to a massive macroeconomic and geostrategic shift for Britain, and is entirely in line with [...]
Access to faster broadband is crucial for the City to remain competitive globally October 25, 2015 The word “wayleave” might not necessarily mean very much to most readers. But this legal agreement permits the installation of broadband – an essential for any company – so that it can reach the offices and businesses that need it. As things stand, each connection requires a new agreement, and SME tenants, of which [...]
Support Britain’s Mittelstand to build a truly balanced economy October 25, 2015 If George Osborne has made just one ambition clear during his time as chancellor, it’s his aim to rebalance the UK economy so that we’re not overly-reliant on the South East or the City of London. You’ll all be familiar with the soundbites by now – “The Northern Powerhouse”, “the March of the Makers” [...]
Is Barclays chairman John McFarlane right to say that bonuses encourage people to cut corners? October 25, 2015 Alex Edmans, professor of finance at London Business School, says Yes. High pay is indeed justified if an executive has generated long-term value. However, bonuses are typically paid according to short-term performance. They can encourage executives to “cut corners” by ignoring the long-run consequences of their actions, and focus narrowly on their impact on short-term [...]
A watchdog must do more than bare teeth October 23, 2015 It's little surprise that two of the City’s fiercest watchdogs avoided banker-bashing rhetoric at Mansion House last night. Tracey McDermott and Andrew Bailey were, after all, speaking to around 300 financial sector workers at this year’s City Banquet hosted by Lord Mayor Alan Yarrow. Both followed one of the primary rules of public speaking – [...]
Cameron’s kowtow: Submission is not the route to success in China October 22, 2015 It was 2012 when I was first asked to make a bribe in China, just shy of a year after moving there. On the counsel of a business licence consultant, I was “advised” to offer remuneration to a mid-ranking member of the local Communist Party Neighbourhood Committee for swaying a potential decision in our favour. [...]