Super-SMEs created three times more jobs than the FTSE 100 last year – but they can do better still October 20, 2015 Not all businesses in the UK provide the same bang for their buck, and one group in particular punches well above its weight. We call them high-growth small businesses (HGSBs). According to the latest Octopus High Growth Small Business Report, released last night, there are only 22,470 of them across the country – with 6,500 [...]
With Canada’s new Prime Minister Justin Trudeau pledging to run a deficit, are Anglosphere countries drifting apart? October 20, 2015 Michael Martins is an economic analyst at the Institute of Directors, says Yes National economic policies respond to global economic forces. But they are shaped by domestic political ones. In the downturn, budget deficits were needed to keep economies ticking over. But global debate about the merits of government borrowing has diverged sharply. To the [...]
As David Cameron vows to raise issue of Chinese steel with Xi Jinping, what are his options? October 19, 2015 Britain’s industrial towns are facing an uncertain future as job losses in the steel industry continue to mount. Calls from those affected to “do something” are understandable. But the truth is that, under current government policies, this once iconic industry (like coal before it) is becoming increasingly unviable. So in the case of SSI, whose [...]
President Xi Jinping’s UK visit: How Britain can truly become China’s best partner in the West October 19, 2015 As the Queen welcomes the President of China to Buckingham Palace today for a state visit, both leaders can reflect on the significant progress made in UK-China relations. Indeed, much has changed. The Chinese economy, despite its slowdown, has grown massively in recent decades; it is eight times larger today than in 1999, when the [...]
Brexit debate: As cabinet ministers demand to campaign for No, will Cameron’s authority collapse because of EU referendum? October 19, 2015 Chris Rumfitt, founder and chief executive of Corporate Reputation Consulting, says Yes Since John Major lashed out at his own cabinet back in 1993, Europe has divided the Conservatives like no other issue. From being a minority pursuit back then, hardline euroscepticism is now the mainstream position within the party. But some cabinet ministers want [...]
Ofsted chief Sir Michael Wilshaw reminds government that apprenticeships need to be worth the effort October 19, 2015 Politicians love apprenticeships. The current government is committed to delivering three million of them in the next five years and ministers’ speeches on the topic tend to have a ring of Stalin’s tractor production statistics. It’s easy to see why politicians are attracted to the lever marked ‘apprenticeships’. With hundreds of thousands of school leavers [...]
Forget Syria: Putin is on the verge of victory in Ukraine October 18, 2015 The western commentariat doesn’t know what to do with Russian President Vladimir Putin, or the enigmatic country that he leads. This can be seen in the comically diverse opinions presently being gravely intoned as to what Putin is doing in both Syria and Ukraine. “Putin is a genius”; “Putin is a fool”; “Russia is regaining [...]
It’s a golden era for UK-China relations: Our transparent markets are at its heart October 18, 2015 On Wednesday night, I have the great privilege of hosting a Chinese delegation for a State Banquet at the Guildhall. I am delighted to return the wonderful hospitality that I, and my delegation of British business leaders, received in China last month, to celebrate the strong relationships that have been forged between our countries’ financial [...]
London can revive its industry and double house-building by getting creative with its space October 18, 2015 The average Briton spends eight hours and 41 minutes using digital devices each day, according to Ofcom – more than they sleep. It is therefore little surprise that we are also the biggest online shoppers in Europe, and this rapid growth in e-commerce partly explains London’s resurgent industrial sheds market, required to stock goods. Transactions [...]
As the Tories come under pressure over tax credit cuts, should Osborne reconsider his decision? October 18, 2015 Harry Fairhead is a policy analyst at the TaxPayers’ Alliance, says Yes. The government should reconsider where it tries to make savings. The working tax credit bill is huge, continues to grow rapidly and so does need to be brought under control. However, tax credit reforms will hurt those on low incomes, and there are [...]