Why it’s time to bring back a free market for sports tickets September 9, 2015 This year, anybody in the UK with an interest in sport has been spoilt for choice. The Ashes and Wimbledon both captured the public’s imagination once again and we still have the Rugby World Cup to look forward to. Alongside this, we continue to host some of the best music gigs in the world, [...]
As North Sea oil faces an investment collapse, is the economic case for an independent Scotland dying? September 9, 2015 Brian Monteith, director of the ThinkScotland think tank, says Yes The economic case for Scottish independence put forward last September was deeply flawed and didn’t add up. Neither the question of the currency arrangements nor funding an inflated public expenditure bill from future oil tax revenues were answered to the satisfaction of the Scottish people. [...]
EU referendum: Process stories about ‘purdah’ rules distract us from the real European Union debate – The City View September 8, 2015 It probably isn’t too much of a stretch to say that for the vast majority of people, “purdah” might as well be a brand of cat food. And yet this arcane device (limiting the activity of government during a campaign period) is currently at the heart of what passes for the debate around the [...]
Catastrophic EU VAT rules are destroying the digital sector September 8, 2015 In January, new EU VAT legislation was imposed on the broadcasting, telecoms and digital sectors, causing a crisis for SMEs. Thousands of businesses have closed, geo-blocking (the refusal of non-EU businesses to sell into the EU) is rampant, and the legislation threatens to wreck the Digital Single Market. In simple terms, the new [...]
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 [...]