David Cameron’s EU renegotiation must free Britain from ever closer union June 3, 2015 As the Prime Minister jets from one European capital to another, seeking support for Britain’s EU reform agenda, the issues on the table are many and varied, ranging from the benefit entitlements of immigrants to the protection of the City of London. But amid all the detail, there is one overriding issue on which the [...]
Three lessons for business from the downfall of Fifa president Sepp Blatter June 3, 2015 There are three things people in business should take away from the downfall of Fifa president Sepp Blatter. First, and most obviously, we crave leaders with integrity – those who are able to do the right things for the organisations they serve, and who have the social awareness to see when their own position becomes [...]
Is the government plan to make failing schools academies the best way to drive up standards? June 3, 2015 Nick Gibb MP, schools minister, says Yes We are helping teachers reverse England’s educational decline by reforming qualifications, improving academic standards and opening new schools. But key to raising standards is ensuring that no children languish in failing schools. Thanks to the academies programme, we have already intervened in more than 1,000 schools. But our [...]
Corruption hits economic growth – and markets can do nothing to stop it June 2, 2015 Sepp Blatter’s resignation as president of Fifa comes after a week of scandal for the global football body. Among soccer fans, sadly, the organisation has become a byword for sleaze. England spent £21m on the campaign to secure the 2018 World Cup. The height of our attempts to influence the delegates seems to have been [...]
Contrarians are vital for a healthy democracy: We must celebrate them June 2, 2015 You're dealing with a lot of silly people in the marketplace; it’s like a great big casino and everyone else is boozing. If you can stick with Pepsi, you should be ok.” Apart from the fact that I prefer Diet Coke, this advice from Warren Buffett, one of the greatest contrarian investors of our time, [...]
Only greater personal accountability at all levels will rebuild trust in banking June 1, 2015 Like other football supporters up and down the land, I was really pleased that Prince William, in his role as president of the FA, spoke out at the weekend about Fifa. The issues he raised – particularly around personal accountability – are central not only to those who lead our great sporting institutions, but they [...]
Why businesses don’t need “corporate social responsibility” to be ethical June 1, 2015 Would anybody ever be brave enough to oppose “corporate social responsibility”? Certainly, it is a good marketing strapline. And CSR proponents have been very successful at putting up and knocking down straw men in which they claim their opponents believe. For example, it is argued that those who do not believe that companies should have [...]
US transparency over state surveillance puts British efforts to shame June 1, 2015 Two very different stories are being played out on each side of the Atlantic on the subject of government surveillance. In the United States, intrusive powers permitted under the Patriot Act were allowed to expire on Sunday evening, after the libertarian senator Rand Paul used procedural objections in the US Senate to delay the passage [...]
As the Tories pledge more free childcare, is this the answer to excessively high costs? June 1, 2015 Sam Gyimah MP, minister for childcare and early years, says Yes Childcare is important because it significantly impacts family finances and people’s ability to work, and make work pay. It’s also important for the child, because high-quality early education is key to having the best start in life. The government has a role in effectively [...]
Fifa corruption: What businesses can learn about the need for cultural change, rather than blaming individuals June 1, 2015 Whenever a large organisation gets into public trouble, the search for a scapegoat begins and the organisations are often relived to serve one up. Institutional illegality is all very well, but it does not appear to be interesting until we can put a face to the crime and a name to the nastiness. After [...]