Can a pill stop you drinking? Why short-term nudges won’t change behaviour October 7, 2014 THE NATIONAL Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) has been the butt of much ridicule over the past week. A pill designed to reduce alcohol consumption among problem drinkers is set to be made available across the NHS. But the concept of problem drinkers is so wide that it embraces people who enjoy a [...]
After a nurse contracted the Ebola virus in Spain, should we fear a global catastrophe? October 7, 2014 Dr Ian Kearns, co-founder and director of the European Leadership Network, says Yes. The US Centre for Disease Control and Prevention has warned that, without additional intervention, Ebola could infect up to 1.4m people in Liberia and Sierra Leone by January. It won’t stop there. With increased travel and immigration, the disease will go global. [...]
Ed Bramson: The man in the spotlight who refused to deliver his lines – View from the Floor October 6, 2014 Ed Bramson was perhaps the calmest man in the room yesterday. Sitting quietly beneath the crystal chandeliers adorning the opulent surroundings of Saddlers’ Hall, he clutched a macintosh and umbrella and sat in the audience as the downpour hammered outside. All eyes were on the British-born, silver-haired New Yorker when chairman Yates opened the floor. [...]
London’s thriving tech sector is under threat – from bonkers EU VAT reforms October 6, 2014 LONDON’S technology sector is thriving, with the capital’s tech firms attracting a record $1bn in venture capital investment in the first nine months of 2014. And as the general election approaches, there’s been no shortage of ideas for policy changes that could accelerate London’s tech growth further. Take the recent Coadec manifesto, which proposed a [...]
Lib Dems are confused on economic freedom: No wonder voters aren’t impressed October 6, 2014 THE ORANGE Book, written by a group of Liberal Democrat thinkers and politicians in 2004, had a clear message for a party often criticised for inconsistency. It articulated a desire for the Lib Dems to embrace economic liberalism and apply market solutions to a range of challenges, including in healthcare, environmental policy, and pensions. It [...]
Mobilising the best of British: How the City can get behind the new-look armed forces October 6, 2014 The Olympics, the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and the annual Lord Mayor’s Show have all showcased the very best of Britain and London. And at the centre of each of these events have been our armed forces. As military operations in Afghanistan draw to a close, our armed forces are changing. We are expanding the role [...]
As the World Bank cuts its GDP forecasts for China, is the country’s growth story ending? October 6, 2014 Craig Botham, emerging markets economist at Schroders, says Yes. The investment-led, credit-fuelled model that generated double digit growth is gone, and it’s not coming back. The economic stresses caused by annual credit growth of 30 to 40 per cent, and a 47 per cent share of investment in GDP, are well-documented and recognised – even [...]
One country, two cultures: There’ll be no happy ending to the Hong Kong protests October 5, 2014 “We claim nothing but the liberty and privileges of Englishmen… we can not be deprived of them without our consent.” – George Mason, a founder of the American republic, 1776 “There is no room to make concessions on important principles.” – The People’s Daily, the official paper of the Chinese Communist Party, 3 [...]
The City is under attack from Brussels – for being a symbol of capitalism October 5, 2014 The City is England’s smallest county by area and population, so the fact that over 700,000 people are employed in finance and associated professional services in London is a testament to its importance and prosperity as a giant of the financial world. It is the world’s leading exporter of financial services: the value of the [...]
London’s philanthropists recognise the long-term value they can generate October 5, 2014 Lord mayors have been involved in philanthropy for many centuries, and my predecessors founded some of the greatest charitable ventures existing today – from schools and hospitals to water conservation and sanitation. They knew, as we do, that the sucesss of London and the UK depends on the strength and sustainability of our communities and [...]