With Argos and John Lewis both releasing their Christmas TV adverts today, will tugging at the heart strings still pull customers back? November 6, 2015 Today marks the official start of Christmas as John Lewis releases its hotly anticipated advert. It’s become a modern tradition, up there now with carols and mince pies. This year’s campaign follows the well-trodden path of pulling at your heart strings in the hope of loosening your purse strings. But has John Lewis gone a [...]
The government is perversely incentivising corporate debt November 5, 2015 Sometimes attitudes are so entrenched that we go about our business and daily lives and never question them. And for me, there’s one particular facet of the world of corporate funding that is not questioned enough – the imbalance in the government’s treatment of equity and debt. It is not only harmful to the interests [...]
The Uber of electricity could be just around the corner – if regulators get out the way November 5, 2015 The way we communicate with each other, access music and movies, and even travel around cities is forever changing. But for far too long, the way we access and consume electricity has stayed the same. With the “Internet of Things” and the “Connected Home”, there are opportunities for new technologies to revolutionise the old models [...]
The Bank of England is charting a dangerous course by delaying on necessary interest rate hikes November 5, 2015 It is 18 months since Mark Carney was accused of being an “unreliable boyfriend” by the Treasury Select Committee over his flip-flopping forward guidance. For a Bank of England governor who is yet to make a move on interest rates, it was a curious tag. In many ways, he has been a very predictable partner [...]
Will Egypt’s President Abdel Fatah el-Sisi be able to contain the country’s growing Islamist threat? November 5, 2015 Tobias Borck, a researcher at the Strategy and Security Institute at the University of Exeter, says Yes President Sisi will be able to contain extremist groups in Egypt, but he won’t defeat them. Despite its economic woes, Egypt is not a failing state. There are no swathes of ungoverned territory, nor are significant parts of [...]
Marks & Spencer dividend can’t hide fashion disaster as Next and Primark steal market share November 5, 2015 It's that time of year again. The nights are drawing in, the heating’s turned up, minor celebrities are switching on high street Christmas lights… and Marks & Spencer has revealed another disappointing half-year performance. Admittedly, shares rose yesterday – up 2.8 per cent – but this was more due to a modest improvement to margins and a [...]
Yes, the Bank could hike before the US Fed – but only if it ignores China November 4, 2015 Who will raise interest rates first – the US Federal Reserve or the Bank of England? It’s not quite a Usain Bolt versus Justin Gatlin-esque fastest-man-on-earth debate. As rates have been so low for so long, perhaps long-distance runners Paul Tergat and Haile Gebrselassie are a better analogy, with the rate-hiking decision having more of [...]
Liberalised Chinese visas are a boon for the UK – now what about Indian tourists? November 4, 2015 The government took the opportunity of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s state visit to Britain last month to announce some extremely welcome changes to visitor visas for Chinese tourists. It said that it will introduce a new two-year multiple-entry visa from January, and thereafter a 10-year equivalent, and both products will cost just £85, the [...]
The beyond GDP myth: Why the government shouldn’t try to maximise our happiness November 4, 2015 Just at the moment when the economic literature appeared to have reached a decisive conclusion about the negative impact of government size on economic performance, the debate has shifted. Suddenly, the impact of government on happiness (subjective well-being or life satisfaction), not growth, is all the rage. We’re told three things. First, that we’re [...]
With plans to store everyone’s internet activity, is the government’s new surveillance bill a danger to freedom? November 4, 2015 Charlotte Bowyer, a digital policy researcher at the Adam Smith Institute. ‘Donut’, says Yes Let’s be clear: the draft Investigatory Powers Bill remains a “Snooper’s Charter”, and its proposals present a serious threat to the privacy and security of UK citizens. The bill requires internet companies to keep records of all the apps and websites [...]