‘The world of Cat TV is more cut throat than you would ever imagine’ – inside the strange business of TV… for cats
Confidence restored: Bank audit has turned a corner post crisis December 16, 2015 In the aftermath of the financial crisis, the question on many people’s minds was: where were the auditors? There were clearly lessons to be learned. Banks were not giving enough information about the risks they faced. Investors were unclear about the work the auditors were doing. Dialogue between bank supervisors and auditors was lacking. So [...]
Q: As Mark Carney expresses concern over lending to landlords, should we be worried about the buy-to-let boom? December 16, 2015 Simon French is chief economist at Panmure Gordon, says Yes The growth of the buy-to-let sector has increased the amount of flighty investment capital in the UK property market, posing a direct risk to financial stability. Any downturn in sentiment towards property as an asset has the potential to be amplified by buy-to-let investors withdrawing [...]
The City is a litmus test for PM’s European Union renegotiation December 16, 2015 David Cameron heads for Brussels tomorrow with a significant weight on his shoulders. The Prime Minister knows that it’s a crucial point in his efforts to renegotiate Britain’s relationship with the EU – and then, subsequently, to convince the British public that he’s done enough for them to vote “Remain”. You may see a lot [...]
Energy security and lower prices must take priority after Paris climate change agreement December 15, 2015 George Osborne told Conservative Party Conference four years ago: “We’re not going to save the planet by putting our country out of business… so let’s at the very least resolve that we’re going to cut our carbon emissions no slower but also no faster than our fellow countries in Europe.” These encouraging words alerted many [...]
We’ve reached peak Christmas jumper: How to predict 2016’s must-have fashion December 15, 2015 What would you buy Jeremy Corbyn for Christmas? Printable answers only, please. But somehow a Christmas jumper seems appropriate. First, it would match the 1980s-style shell suit he wore the other day. Second, he might like one featuring a portrait of Stalin and the slogan “Teacher, Leader, Friend”, a phrase in widespread use in the [...]
Britain needs to up its game on broadband – or creaking digital infrastructure will hit growth December 15, 2015 The UK is in the middle of a digital revolution. Over the last decade, the internet has emerged as the lifeblood of the modern world. In towns and cities across the country, businesses, governments and residents are becoming ever more dependent on an abundance of digital services and, consequently, on the wires and cables under [...]
With consumer price index inflation inching up to 0.1 per cent, could the period of persistently low inflation be about to end? December 15, 2015 Kallum Pickering, senior UK economist at Berenberg, says Yes Falling oil prices and sterling appreciation have exerted strong but temporary effects on headline inflation, bringing it to zero for most of 2015. But even if there is more disinflationary pressure to come from oil in the near term, prices cannot fall forever. Eventually, the oil [...]
Lords leap on banker bashing bandwagon December 15, 2015 They say that nothing is stronger than an idea whose time has come. But what of an idea whose time came, went and which was then resurrected in the name of good old fashioned banker bashing? That's where we now find ourselves with the so-called "reverse burden of proof" rule for senior bankers. It first [...]
Banks have a duty to regain public trust – and it may take a generation December 14, 2015 Trust in the financial services sector remains stubbornly low. According to the Edelman Trust Barometer, only half of the countries surveyed put their faith in financial services. And the picture is even worse for banks. From 2014 to 2015, trust in banks declined in two thirds of the countries covered, with the highest levels of [...]
Uber, drills and the death of ownership: Why the future is renting… everything December 14, 2015 If markets are so great, why do firms exist at all? To a non-economist, that might seem like a bizarre thing to ask. Yet the growth of the misleadingly named “sharing economy” is making it one of the most important questions for understanding the future economic structure of our world. We have traditionally thought that [...]