If London didn’t have a lord mayor, it would be in our interests to invent one – City Matters October 19, 2014 What is the role of the lord mayor in the twenty-first century?” It is a common question that has been posed to me and my recent predecessors countless times. The role has come a long way since the era of four-time incumbent Richard Whittington, immortalised in pantomime. Some parts have remained the same – [...]
Don’t let Ukip define the terms of the EU debate October 19, 2014 Ukip’s rise has led to fear in Westminster. Politicians see how the party has gained momentum, and they fret about the impact on the outcome of the general election next year, and in some cases their own jobs. This anxiety is having several consequences. Eurosceptic voices have become bolder, and balanced debate has become rarer. [...]
As Labour proposes giving football fans seats on club boards, would this improve the sport? October 19, 2014 Robin Osterley is chief executive of Supporters Direct, says Yes. Pretty much everyone working in the game likes to argue that football clubs are a special form of business that hold a very significant place in cultural and social terms – not just as actual sports businesses. Clubs are prepared to invest significantly in promoting [...]
How to keep your cool in a job interview October 17, 2014 A big job interview can be one of the most stressful things you will do in your professional life. So much is riding on such a short amount of time. Your future earnings, your home and where it is, your lifestyle, how you and your family live and how your kids are educated – and [...]
The new iPlod: How Apple’s iPad Air 2 and Mini 3 disprove Darwin’s theory with pure brand power October 17, 2014 If Darwin really did say it’s not the strongest or most intelligent who will survive but those who can best manage change, then the world of mobile tech had better watch out. The lumbering dinosaur that was once Nokia wonderfully proves the point: one moment all conquering and powerful, the next gobbled-up by Microsoft [...]
Patent trolls are a threat to competitive markets – and the UK may not be immune October 16, 2014 LONDON’s technology sector is booming. Driven by big venture capital investments (tech firms attracted a record $1bn in the first nine months of 2014), and encompassing everything from finance to fashion, it is one of our greatest recent success stories. But this nascent sector also faces a worrying potential threat. A fresh menace to the [...]
Don’t panic: Why the bull market still has further to run October 16, 2014 THERE has been a tremendous pick-up in volatility in markets recently, particularly equity markets. While this will be worrying for investors, I think the current weakness will prove to be a mid-cycle correction and the US bull market still has further to run. The catalyst for what is happening is the strengthening US dollar, which [...]
As David Cameron pledges action against EU immigration, is UK protectionism growing? October 16, 2014 Allie Renison, head of Europe and trade policy at the Institute of Directors, says Yes. It’s increasingly apparent that immigration will be at the forefront of David Cameron’s intended renegotiation efforts, and at the heart of the debate in any future referendum. But freedom of movement should not be the big red-line issue when there are [...]
The $100bn question: Banks must not let the past limit their future ambitions October 15, 2014 WHAT sort of banking industry do you want? Probably much the same as I do: banks that fuel economic growth, lend to businesses, let customers fulfil their dream of owning a home, and are well-financed enough to ensure that we taxpayers are never called on to provide support ever again. Today, senior bankers will gather [...]
The crackdown on no win, no fee risks handing a victory to dodgy directors October 15, 2014 One of the hazards of policymaking is that many of the best-laid plans can have curiously unintended consequences. In implementing policy, meanwhile, government can often find its left hand undermined by its right. So it has been with the Ministry of Justice’s laudable bid to halt spurious and costly civil litigation, an initiative which now [...]