Sleepwalking to Brexit: The stakes are too high to be complacent about the risks May 17, 2015 Expect the unexpected could be considered the new mantra for UK politics, just like think the unthinkable has become an increasingly common refrain for markets. The shock Conservative majority and stunning gains of the SNP left Paddy Ashdown eating his hat, Alastair Campbell eating his kilt, and David Cameron well-advised to dust off the “Better [...]
As Nicola Sturgeon demands more powers, is a second Scottish independence vote inevitable? May 17, 2015 Tim Bale, professor of politics at Queen Mary, University of London, says Yes. The genie is out of the bottle, the toothpaste out of the tube. Pick whichever metaphor you like, but be sure of one thing: it’s a case of “when”, not “if”. The SNP is simply biding its time, waiting for its chance. [...]
It’s baffling that Labour didn’t make more of QE in its election campaign May 15, 2015 George Osborne's management of the economy has been credited with winning the Conservatives the election. Despite repeated criticism and warnings of the dire economic consequences of his austerity policies from adversaries, he continued on. The Labour leadership majored on this theme in the first few years in opposition. In the early days of the [...]
Fishing for hearts and minds: What the political parties should do to rebuild their tattered reputations May 15, 2015 So now the election has been won and lost, we can finally start talking about something else – or can we? The thing that interested me most about the days immediately after the campaign had ended was how swiftly the parties moved from winning votes to building bridges. The slightly tricky thing for the [...]
UK banking’s falling competitiveness should worry the whole of the country May 14, 2015 Contrary to most expectations, we have a government. And although David Cameron might have felt he had it difficult in his first term as Prime Minister – dealing with a huge budget deficit while in coalition – this term also has its challenges. His majority is slim, there is the far from little matter of [...]
Labour made a strategic error in opposing an EU vote: It must reverse course May 14, 2015 Now that the stoor is settling, Labour might want to consider some of the blunders Ed Miliband made that helped drive voters towards the Conservatives – or even Ukip. The first is that Labour made a strategic error by not offering an in/out EU referendum. This misjudgement delivered four outcomes that Miliband could have avoided: [...]
Sadiq Khan is the active mayor London needs to drive sustainable growth May 14, 2015 Sadiq Khan’s story is the story of London at its best. The son of a bus driver, he became the first ever Asian to attend Cabinet. From growing up in a council house in Tooting, he took his law firm from just two partners to employing over 50 people. If many more are to be [...]
As RICS calls housing a “national emergency”, are UK politicians incapable of fixing the crisis? May 14, 2015 Stephanie Lis, who works for the Institute of Economic Affairs, says Yes Politicians of all stripes have been woeful in their attempts to deal with the UK’s escalating housing crisis. While all the main parties have acknowledged the symptoms of our dysfunctional market – which has seen prices increase more than fourfold in real terms [...]
Paul Walsh back in the running for CBI after Tory win – Inside Track May 13, 2015 At 9.55pm last Thursday, Lord Ashcroft confidently predicted at a party hosted by the former Conservative treasurer Michael Spencer that David Cameron was facing electoral annihilation. How things can change in a matter of minutes. Guests at Scott’s in Mayfair rejoiced as the exit polls showed the Prime Minister just ten seats from an [...]
Why we need an Apple for financial services – to rebuild customer trust May 13, 2015 Modern life has turned us all into perfectionists. We value companies that make our lives easier, and shun those that don’t. We expect brands to make us feel good and remind us that we’re part of something special. Companies have to deliver great service every time, or face our wrath on social media and risk [...]