Truly radical devolution of powers could banish big government in the UK forever September 21, 2014 If necessity is the mother of invention, politicians of all stripes will have to be spectacularly inventive in dealing with the fallout from the Scottish referendum result. And we may yet stumble upon a new constitutional settlement that will go some way to encouraging both innovation and constraint in the bloated public sector both north [...]
Polling Scotland’s referendum results: Why it all eventually came down to turnout September 21, 2014 We are very pleased that our final Scottish referendum poll, along with one by Survation, was the most accurate of the final prediction polls: with a projected 47 per cent Yes vote, against a final outcome of 45 per cent, we were only two percentage points away, well within the accepted margin of error. But [...]
After the referendum results the Scots will continue to thrive – with the UK’s stability behind them – City Matters September 21, 2014 As the second Scottish lord mayor of London in as many years, the referendum debate has had particular poignancy for me. I understand the desire by some in Scotland to “go their own way” as an independent country, but I am glad that the majority of Scots have chosen to remain in the United Kingdom. [...]
Could the clear vote against independence in Scotland help deliver a UK growth dividend? September 21, 2014 Bill O’Neill is head of the UK investment office at UBS Wealth Management, says Yes. Although we have a clear result in Scotland, market uncertainty has not been eliminated. As Scotland embarks on its devo-max journey, one risk has been removed, but we are still in a nebulous situation. Nevertheless, returning to business as usual [...]
Polling Scotland’s referendum: Why it all came down to turnout September 19, 2014 WE ARE very pleased that our final Scottish referendum poll, along with one by Survation, was the most accurate of the final prediction polls: with a projected 47 per cent Yes vote, against a final outcome of 45 per cent, we were only two percentage points away, well within the accepted margin of error. But [...]
After the Scottish referendum results it’s what happens next which could buffet David Cameron September 19, 2014 In the end it came down to heart, not head. Scotland voted against independence in the way a tired child, having shouted and resisted in its parents' arms, eventually curls in for a cuddle after the storm passes. The union, like a great umbilical cord running the backbone of the United Kingdom, may bend and [...]
The devolution genie is out of the bottle – and London must not be forgotten September 18, 2014 WHEN the UK government ruled out devo-max on the Scottish referendum ballot, few decried it as the strategic mistake it later turned out to be. Forced into an unexpected corner by a surge in nationalist support, the leaders of the three main UK parties promised Scotland the earth, magically transforming the No box into a [...]
Investors should pause before gambling on the Alibaba flotation frenzy September 18, 2014 THE IPO of China’s largest e-commerce platform Alibaba has drawn frenzied interest from investors worldwide, with the company expected to raise at least $21bn on the New York Stock Exchange. But the listing has also prompted serious questions about the firm’s governance structure. Alibaba is, of course, a very successful business and investors have been [...]
Is News Corp right that Google’s internet dominance is damaging? September 18, 2014 Carl Miller, research director at the Centre for the Analysis of Social Media at Demos, says Yes. Google: Gmail, Chrome, Google+, Search, all free. It gives us a suite of brilliantly useful products that almost all of us use daily. What’s not to like? That’s the problem. Day-to-day, everything is convenient and free. We treat [...]
Little Britain: The UK will never punch above its weight again if the Scots vote to leave September 17, 2014 I ONLY lost it once on 9/11. It was some time after the third plane hit the Pentagon that early September morning. Working flat out at the Heritage Foundation in Washington, DC, I was dimly aware the phone was ringing incessantly, as my staff went on with the important job of working out who was [...]