Why economics can prevent Europe’s refugee crisis from becoming even worse September 8, 2015 Emotions are running high over the refugee crisis, with heart-breaking images arousing waves of compassion across Europe. As ever, however, economics lurks in the background. The tragic stories of refugees coming to Europe rightly elicit a call to help those in need, but we must understand the underlying realities to truly do something about [...]
Government procrastination must end: Give the green light to Heathrow expansion now September 8, 2015 As ministers return to their desks this week from their summer holidays, the government will be faced with the pressing issue of whether to back the expansion of airport capacity in London and the South East. This follows the clear recommendation of the Airports Commission in July to build a new runway at Heathrow. [...]
After killing two British IS jihadists, is the government right to say it won’t hesitate to use drone strikes again? September 8, 2015 Robin Simcox, a research fellow at the Henry Jackson Society, says Yes There is, correctly, a high threshold for the government to meet before carrying out a targeted strike against a British citizen. This is the first time such a strike has taken place, and it was done to prevent Reyaad Khan – an [...]
Winners and losers of Living Wage campaign – The City View September 7, 2015 The problem with nuance and complexity is that they get in the way of simple government announcements. Take, as a prime example, the debate around the national minimum wage (NMW). The Low Pay Commission (LPC) was created in 1998 to offer independent advice on the NMW – precisely because politicians were deemed incapable of resisting [...]
Consumers are being ignored in the financial market abuse crackdown September 7, 2015 MPs coming back to Westminster after the summer recess will be returning to financial markets that have shown levels of volatility not seen since the banking crisis. While it is unlikely that the recent share rout will lead to another global meltdown, it will give added impetus to MPs’ efforts to pass legislation aimed [...]
NHS GP charges: Switzerland shows why charging to visit a doctor needn’t be politically toxic September 7, 2015 The economic case for user charges in healthcare is easily explained. A well-designed system of charges for people accessing services can encourage cost-consciousness and reduce overuse. If people had to pay a share of their healthcare costs out of pocket, they would start asking their GPs (and other sources of information) about whether a [...]
How Britain’s booming startup scene can be supercharged by empowering smaller investors September 7, 2015 Many congratulations to City A.M. on its tenth birthday. It has been a remarkably successful decade for the adventurous upstart. But the anniversary reminds me of a rather less happy fact. By the time it is ten years old, there is only a one in 100 chance that a UK firm will have reached [...]
As Lord Hall pledges a “BBC for the internet age”, is this even possible under the licence fee model? September 7, 2015 David Hickman, senior lecturer in film & television production at the University of York, says Yes The only alternative to the licence fee proposed by BBC critics is subscription. Little is said about how, say, radio would be paid for. But practical issues aside, the BBC is a public institution, so public attitudes matter – [...]
We will never shy away from celebrating risk, hard work and reward – The City View September 6, 2015 The idea of launching a new, free newspaper was born from a belief that London and the City are unique, and that the people who work in the heart of our nation's economy deserve a paper that understands, informs, challenges and celebrates them. Ten years ago this week, the first editions of City A.M. [...]
China’s real crisis: It may never become a rich country September 6, 2015 I thought I smelled a rat. As I have often told my European colleagues – fond as they are of conspiracy theories about American foreign policy – they have the wrong Shakespeare play in mind: America is more Hamlet than Macbeth. By that I mean that, whereas outsiders to the policy world often assume great [...]