Independence would put Scotland’s entrepreneurial economy in jeopardy September 16, 2014 WITH the polls in chaos, and the likely result far from certain, it’s understandable that rival groups of influential Scots continue to argue the business case for and against independence. But amid all the interventions by large corporations, one important area has been neglected – what independence would mean for smaller businesses and entrepreneurs, both [...]
Radical uncertainty: Why the Scots could ignore business and follow the crowd September 16, 2014 AFTER months of Trappist silence, a plethora of large companies has pronounced on the adverse consequences for Scotland of a Yes vote tomorrow. The sectors span the economy – from oil to banks, from supermarkets to phone companies. But what will the effect of these interventions be? From the perspective of a rational economic person, [...]
Three compelling reasons why business should get behind British arts and culture September 16, 2014 WHY DO we invest public funds in arts and culture? Undoubtedly because they are part of our national conversation, and enhance our quality of life. Wherever you look, publicly-funded arts are making an important contribution to society; in prisons, hospitals, old people’s homes, schools and universities. But less acknowledged is the symbiotic relationship between arts [...]
Scotland could keep the pound – but at the cost of any monetary independence September 15, 2014 THE CONTROVERSY over the monetary and currency arrangements of an independent Scotland has dominated the referendum campaign, after Alex Salmond’s initial desire for a formal currency union with the rest of the UK was ruled out by all the other major political parties. Salmond has since strongly indicated that Scotland could use sterling unilaterally – [...]
Planning liberalisation is the closest thing there is to an economic silver bullet September 15, 2014 WITH low productivity, high inflation and terrible industrial relations, in 1977, Britain was a basket case. So that year, businessman John Hoskyns decided to dedicate substantial effort to analysing the UK’s economic problems. The result was a flow diagram, which sought to trace out the fundamental causes of the malaise. Hoskyns’s work pinned the blame [...]
Are the English and Welsh right to support a No victory in the Scottish independence vote? September 15, 2014 Ewen Stewart, a director of Walbrook Economics and author of Much Cost, Little Benefit for the Scottish Research Society, says Yes. Make no mistake – the break-up of Great Britain would be an earth-shattering event, the effects of which would be felt far beyond Scotland. The UK is viewed as one of the most stable, [...]
Why spurious financial precision may be killing our markets – and our fish September 14, 2014 The way we handle uncertainty determines our future. Many of mankind’s self-created problems, from financial crises to environmental devastation, arise from poor analysis of future risks and rewards. We lack confidence in our tools for handling uncertainty. Within the financial sector we’ve been partially burned by derivatives, mark-to-market, or value-at-risk. Scotland’s independence referendum may represent [...]
Staying silent about the real price of Scottish independence is a cop out – City Matters September 14, 2014 This week will see the most crucial poll in the United Kingdom for centuries – a poll on whether the UK will stay as it is or Scotland will choose to leave the Union. The business world has led with the view that “this is a matter for the Scottish people”. But this is also [...]
Are business leaders right to intervene in the Scottish independence referendum debate? September 14, 2014 Alex Singleton is associate director of The Whitehouse Consultancy and author of The PR Masterclass, says Yes. Business interventions over Scottish independence are not just tactically right, they’re morally virtuous. Until recently, many chief executives kept out of the debate, fearing their reputations would be trashed by so-called cybernats (cyber nationalists). Two things changed. First, [...]
Scottish independence: Will brands be left with Scotch egg on their faces? September 12, 2014 As someone who was born in Scotland, and occasionally wears the Duncan kilt with pride (in the correct fashion if you had to know), I have more than a passing interest in the forthcoming vote. Mostly I feel it’s a little unfair that that the ‘Yes’ camp seems to be having all the fun, leaving [...]