Is the workers’ flag Conservative blue? – The City View October 1, 2015 Earlier this year, the pollster Lord Ashcroft conducted conversations with voters to find out what they associated with particular political parties. The results of one such focus group are remarkably detailed and rather amusing. When asked to consider what kind of house the Conservative party might be, people described a property “with nice thick carpets [...]
EU referendum: Stop the complacency or Britain could sleepwalk out of the European Union October 1, 2015 There must have been something in the water at Number 11 Downing Street in the 1970s and 1980s: two of the most famous post-war chancellors have now said they will vote Out in David Cameron’s forthcoming EU referendum. Denis Healey told the New Statesman some time ago that he would vote to quit Europe [...]
London house prices: Build-to-Rent could transform lives in the capital – it must be free from unhelpful requirements October 1, 2015 The UK does not have enough homes – especially in the capital. This is a concern persistently raised by our members and felt the country over. Indeed, there is a real fear that our thriving cities – and London is the key example – will start to suffer as access to housing, or lack of [...]
Enter the 5p carrier bag: The environment and charity ruse that will make your life harder October 1, 2015 On Monday, it will become law for all large retailers to charge 5p for plastic bags, and give the proceeds to charity. This act has been greeted with heady acclaim. “Hold on to the dream!”, celebrates green columnist Lucy Siegle, imagining a transformation of the world economy and the saving of marine wildlife. Defra talks [...]
As Chinese slowdown fears ease, are prospects brighter for emerging market equities? October 1, 2015 Will Ballard, head of emerging markets and Asia Pacific equities at Aviva Investors, says Yes The recent turmoil in emerging markets is nothing new. Indeed, we have been here before. The journey has often been painful but it has also been rewarding. This is because although emerging markets are volatile, they are driven by long-term [...]
Labour party conference 2015: How Jeremy Corbyn will impact market sentiment September 30, 2015 The election of Jeremy Corbyn as the new Labour leader was one of the biggest surprises in the UK political arena in recent memory. It signalled a shift to the left that hasn’t been seen in a major opposition party in 30 years. In his keynote speech at the Labour Party conference in Brighton [...]
UK house prices: The property market is mired in uncertainty – brace for higher prices and polarised demand September 30, 2015 It is time for a big think about UK house prices. Does anybody know which way they will turn? Whether we’re looking at the short term or the long term, a tremendous amount of uncertainty abounds. Looking at the short-term outlook, latest figures from the Halifax show prices rising by 9 per cent year-on-year, [...]
Why the Capital Markets Union will propel business and investment across all of Europe September 30, 2015 The European Commission yesterday launched its action plan for a Capital Markets Union – or CMU for short. The initiative is designed to build a true single market across all 28 EU member states. The UK strongly supports this. We have called for the EU to focus on what people across Europe need most: [...]
As Sainsbury’s makes a surprise upgrade to its profit forecast, could this be comeback season for supermarkets? September 30, 2015 Clive Black, director and head of research at Shore Capital, says Yes To say that the British supermarket scene has been through the “perfect storm” is to understate the size of the waves. Sales fell, margins collapsed, earnings imploded and dividends were cut. The surprise Sainsbury’s upgrade in market expectations is a welcome boost to [...]
One year in, Tesco boss has Dave Lewis no room for excuses – The City View September 29, 2015 A year ago this month, Dave Lewis was anointed Tesco’s chief executive after being parachuted in from Unilever and tasked with turning around Britain’s biggest retailer. The supertanker was sinking fast. Lewis’ predecessor Phil Clarke had overseen a disastrous reign littered with profit warnings, a collapse in the share price and falling market share. Tellingly, [...]