As MPs warn of a student loan tipping point, is the system now fundamentally broken? July 22, 2014 Liam Byrne, shadow minister for universities, science and skills, says Yes. Britain’s student finance system is as broken as the Liberal Democrats’ promise not to increase fees – which is what got us into this mess in the first place. By trebling tuition fees to £9,000 per year, the government has overloaded young people – already [...]
We’re staring into the abyss in Gaza: Only the US can halt this deadly cycle July 21, 2014 “If you want to make peace, you don’t talk to your friends. You talk to your enemies.” Moshe Dayan, Israeli politician and military leader IN GAZA, the inexorable logic of destruction continues apace. Since the Israeli ground incursion into the Hamas-dominated enclave began on Thursday, the death toll has risen tragically. Sunday was the worst [...]
Forget the licence fee: Why Game of Thrones damns the case for a universal BBC July 21, 2014 Ahead of the 2016 Charter Review, the BBC is bunkering down to defend its funding through the licence fee. Last week alone saw director-general Tony Hall and head of policy James Heath robustly justify the continuation of the £145.50 annual charge for all those households who watch any type of live TV. It would be [...]
Too big to succeed? How Tesco’s new leader can take on the toxic retailer July 21, 2014 The last-minute cancellation of his “40 years at Tesco” party suggests that Philip Clarke’s departure came as a big surprise. But in truth, his future at Tesco had been looking increasingly bleak for months. The man himself conceded as much in March, with his surprise statement at a conference that his days as chief executive [...]
Are tougher sanctions the best way to tackle Putin’s Russia? July 21, 2014 Timothy Ash, head of emerging market research (ex Africa) at Standard Bank, says Yes. Sanctions have already had an effect, by preventing a broader Russian incursion into Ukraine. Russia did not expect them, and the measures made it bide time to assess their impact. Crucially, this gave the new Ukrainian government time to regroup, and [...]
There will be more Putins – and more Flight MH17s – if Europe fails to act now July 21, 2014 “Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain” – The Wizard in L Frank Baum’s The Wizard of Oz In her able, forthright way, Hillary Clinton has just painfully called Europe’s bluff. Speaking just after the horrific details of the Malaysian plane disaster became clear – where it looks increasingly likely that murderously clueless [...]
City Matters: The City doesn’t exist in a vacuum – its cultural connections span the globe July 21, 2014 Throughout the past month, visitors to the City’s Paternoster Square might have been surprised by the sight of a giant bowler hat sitting proudly in place. This eye-catching venue has played host to a huge range of world class music – from cabaret to ballet to a performance by the Electric Swing Circus – [...]
Why free bank accounts will have to go to spur competition in banking July 21, 2014 The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is consulting on its provisional decision to launch a formal investigation into UK banks. In other words, the CMA wants to increase competition in banking to better meet the needs of consumers. And alongside other issues, it is concerned that the Big Four banks have a 77 per cent [...]
Forget garden cities: This utopian ideal will never give us the houses we need July 17, 2014 Garden cities make for a fascinating debate, and it’s only set to intensify. The shortlist for the 2014 Wolfson Prize was released last month, and five plans for a new garden city edged closer towards winning £250,000. Earlier this year, the government announced that a 15,000-home garden city would be built at Ebbsfleet in Kent. [...]
Don’t politicise takeovers, Vince Cable – you risk putting bidders off Britain July 17, 2014 "I do not want protectionist legislation, but we do need a last resolute national defence,” said business secretary Vince Cable in City A.M. this week. Unfortunately, there is a risk that Cable’s proposals to toughen up the rules governing takeovers could have adverse consequences unless they are refined. Contrary to some of the wilder speculation, [...]