Gutsy Osborne was right to gamble on a promise of further spending cuts September 29, 2014 ED MILIBAND made a pitch for office that was so forgettable that he forgot it himself.” That line was the key message chancellor George Osborne wanted us to take away from his party conference speech yesterday. While the Conservatives have a plan to continue to eliminate the budget deficit and create the conditions for prosperous [...]
Hong Kong: Would a failure to allow democratic reforms hurt its standing as a business hub? September 29, 2014 Nathan Gamester, programme director at the Legatum Institute, says Yes. It pays to be a democracy. Hong Kong’s protesters know this, which is why they are digging in despite violent clashes with the police and strong condemnation from Beijing’s central authorities. Some may point to China as a country that has been successful without democracy. [...]
As star fund manager Neil Woodford criticises the industry for overcharging, is he correct? September 29, 2014 Gina Miller is founder of the True and Fair Campaign and SCM Private, says Yes. We’ve been highlighting high fees, hidden charges, index cloning and other scandalous industry practices for five years, and have been actively campaigning via our True and Fair Campaign since 2012 for new legislation to end these practices. It is fantastic [...]
Why taking on Islamic State in Syria is a recipe for unmitigated disaster September 28, 2014 For all that he is supposed to be a master communicator – and despite the oceans of ink spilled on the subject – I must confess I have no idea what exactly President Obama is trying to do against the Islamic State (IS). The White House talks of degrading and ultimately destroying the militants by [...]
There’s a black hole at the heart of the City: Lack of superfast broadband September 28, 2014 In the twenty-first century, superfast broadband is something we take for granted, like clean water and bright lights. But despite being in the world’s most popular business location, many of the City’s SMEs are still receiving the internet equivalent of rusty, murky water. While our larger businesses are well-served by fibre optic broadband, SMEs and [...]
Young entrepreneurs are holding their nerve while their parents fear failure September 28, 2014 One piece of data that can strike fear into the minds of government officials is the level of company formations. It may not sound like a stomach-turner, but a surge of new businesses could offer reassurance when politicians are rightly keen to see unemployment continue to fall. Right now, there’s cause for jumpiness. While the [...]
Lloyds settlement latest example of the shadow regulatory state September 28, 2014 The announced settlement between the American and British authorities and Lloyds Banking Group, in which the bank will pay almost $370m to US and UK authorities, is the latest major fallout from claims that multiple international banks profited by manipulating the London Interbank Offer Rate (Libor), a key financial benchmark embedded in contracts around the [...]
Ukip party conference 2014: Three reasons Ukip might have the best brand in politics September 26, 2014 After Ed Miliband’s much-maligned slip-ups, this weekend it’s Nigel Farage’s turn to show the world he’s a man of the people, at the Ukip party conference. Farage may be mocked by some – but during his tenure as its leader, he has transformed it from a party on the margins of the political system [...]
Phones 4u: When a brand dies, let the tweets flow September 26, 2014 When a brand pops its clogs, what should happen to its social media presence? This month’s collapse of mobile retailer Phones 4u shows one thing for sure – brand owners should not simply give up on their profiles. When a company dies, its potential in the afterlife does not. Every Twitter account has [...]
How to use your personal brand to get a job September 26, 2014 A job interview is about standing out – in a good way. You want to show yourself off, talk what you have achieved, what you can do and what makes you different from the rest. An authentic and likeable personal brand can be an asset in many ways in your professional life. It is memorable, [...]