Would it be legitimate for the second largest party post-election to form a government? May 6, 2015 Andrew Hawkins, chairman of ComRes, says Yes The second largest party did indeed win the February 1974 Election (a poll with ominous similarities to 2015), when Harold Wilson won four more seats than Edward Heath but received 230,000 fewer votes. Yet it was not thought a constitutional outrage. Even if a party does come second [...]
Why some foreign investors think an EU referendum would be worth the pain May 5, 2015 The General Election campaign has featured numerous statements from politicians, business leaders and think tanks on the benefits and risks of holding an In/Out referendum so that the people of Britain can decide whether they want to remain in the EU. If we take the potential impact on foreign investment as a guide, EY’s research [...]
Mansion tax: The real losers of Labour’s policy may never be identified May 5, 2015 An exciting email pinged into my inbox at the end of last week. It was a link to the contents of the latest issue of the American Economic Association’s journal Economic Policy. For most people, these publications are not usually as gripping as, say, a Ken Follett novel. But nestling among the thickets of algebra, [...]
Why Crossrail risks being London’s last major infrastructure project May 5, 2015 It is difficult to believe that it was half a decade ago that Liam Byrne – a Treasury minister in Gordon Brown’s government – left that infamous note for his successor. It apparently read, “Dear chief secretary, I’m afraid there is no money left… Good luck.” Of course, Byrne was only half right. Since 2010, [...]
With Australia’s central bank the latest to cut interest rates, is the global recovery at risk? May 5, 2015 Steven Feng, a research fellow at Griffith University Asia Institute, says Yes The global economy risks slipping into a deflationary trap. The US recovery is built on shaky ground, the Eurozone faces an imminent threat to its integrity, hopes for supply-side reform in Japan have faded, and China is in de facto deflation. Emerging economies [...]
The best communicator won each General Election from the last 30 years – here’s why May 5, 2015 Having a party leader who understands how to communicate isn't just a useful bonus – it's probably proved decisive in every General Election of the last 30 years. That magic combination of authenticity, decisiveness and/or likeability has always been critical for the man or woman seeking to get into Number 10 – and it's [...]
Saudi’s quiet political revolution: How the kingdom saved itself from disaster May 4, 2015 “The reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated.” – Mark Twain While all eyes are understandably on the climax of the most fascinating British election in a generation, an equally important political outcome has quietly been reached in far-away Arabia. There, the Saudi royal family – the House of Saud – has managed [...]
Politicians must start seeing voters like customers – or they’ll shop elsewhere May 4, 2015 The UK’s political heavyweights are throwing their final few punches in what we are assured will be the closest political fight for years. Who will land the knock-out blow is anyone’s guess – but there is one certainty and it revolves around the question of trust. Every voter wants to know which party will deliver [...]
General Election 2015: Why I have decided not to vote this year May 4, 2015 When Russell Brand said last year that he had never voted, and urged others to follow his example, much of the political commentariat lamented his irresponsibility. As ever with Brand, his thinking was faulty. He seemed to believe that politics itself did not matter. In his view, all politicians are much the same. History shows [...]
Is Tesla’s new battery the next big threat to energy firms? May 4, 2015 Bruce Davis is director at Abundance Generation, says Yes. Tesla’s development of in-home energy storage will revolutionise the way we use electricity to power our homes. It will also be a game changer in the market for home solar power systems. The idea of the centralised utility company, providing mass-produced power, will be a thing [...]