London house prices: Housebuilding is falling in the capital – so rip up planning rules and start again January 29, 2016 Help to Buy. The Help to Buy Isa. NewBuy. Right to Buy. Shared ownership. As the housing crisis worsened in recent years, there was no shortage of government schemes aimed at helping first-time buyers reach that crucial bottom rung on the housing ladder. In the capital, it is becoming increasingly obvious gentle encouragement from George [...]
Excessive politeness breeds poor quality work: What’s the point of praising people for incompetence? January 29, 2016 I recently came across a taped phone call in which a Tory MP snaps “shut up” at her caseworker. At the time of its release, the call prompted widespread accusations of bullying, and the caseworker went to the media complaining about the lack of “sympathy” she had received from her boss. How mild-mannered and proper [...]
Forget a tech bubble: This is the start of 50-year Digital Revolution January 29, 2016 The possibility that we are in a “tech bubble” is a hot and much contended issue in both Europe and the US. So why all the concern? Many market analysts and experts, drawing on comparisons with the dot-com crash, are warning of a similar trend in the current tech industry, characterised by inflated company valuations [...]
Lower emissions, bigger economic impact: Time to celebrate our world-beating aviation sector January 29, 2016 The environmental impact of UK aviation, from CO2 emissions to noise, has been a key focus of the debate about the sector in recent years. And that focus has only intensified over the last year, with ongoing political discussion about airport expansion in the South East. While the government continues to agonise over where to expand [...]
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 [...]