Hollow localism: Our politicians are still wedded to rule from Whitehall July 7, 2014 Six weeks after the local elections seems an odd time to announce a new settlement for local government funding. Perhaps the parties wanted to get the grubby business of democracy out of the way before discussing the more important question of how local services are funded. After all, the UK has a long tradition of [...]
Judge the NHS on its outcomes – not the intentions behind it July 7, 2014 WITH Monty Python at the O2 arena and ongoing coverage of the NHS, I was reminded last week of the Python sketch showing a lady giving birth. Unfortunately for her, the doctors played by John Cleese and Graham Chapman are more interested in impressing the hospital administrator by surrounding her with machinery (like the machine [...]
As the Tour de France leaves the UK, have the economic benefits been over-hyped? July 7, 2014 Henry Overman, professor of economic geography at the London School of Economics, says Yes. When a major sporting event is announced, it’s common to see politicians use economic arguments to justify public investment. But there’s a danger these impacts may be over-inflated, in part because they’re often difficult to measure. Our recent evidence review of [...]
How to defeat Isis: We already have a playbook for beating these extremists July 6, 2014 MUNICH – As the Fourth of July comes and goes, I have been jokingly told by friends that I share a trait found more often in East Asian cultures; that of ancestor worship. One of my sons is named after both Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson, so fervently do I believe in the civic religion [...]
City Matters: City Giving: Why you don’t need to be rich to be involved in philanthropy July 6, 2014 IN A slight diversion from my usual working day, I will be spending a good portion of this Friday judging cupcakes. Why? For the first ever City’s Giving Day. This inaugural event will showcase a whole spectrum of opportunities to get involved in giving – in addition to cupcake competitions and sponsored swims. The philanthropic [...]
Forget a second-rate MP: A central banker would do more for Britain in Brussels July 6, 2014 THE CHOICE of the UK’s next EU commissioner presents a difficult decision for David Cameron. It is also a crucial one in determining how successfully the UK can secure the reforms that best serve its interests, including for the financial services sector. In considering his preferred candidate, Cameron undoubtedly feels the need to accommodate his [...]
City & Gild: Rolf Harris, Andy Coulson and the business of image over behaviour July 4, 2014 I’m gutted about Rolf Harris. A budding artist as a kid, I watched Rolf on a regular basis, taking great delight in his incredible talent and bizarre catchphrases. I am loath to admit I have even hummed his songs every now and then. I believed in Rolf Harris. He cultivated an image of a genuine, [...]
Don’t give up on the Union: Scots should vote with their heads, not their hearts July 3, 2014 SEVEN hundred years ago, the Scots won a glorious victory at Bannockburn. The Yes campaign says we should seize this September’s referendum to be that nation again! My heart hears the call: I am Scots first and foremost. But my head says no. Why give up on a Union that has immeasurably improved the prosperity [...]
Finding Garcia: It’ll take pluck to liberate yourself from micro-management July 3, 2014 CAN YOU carry a message to Garcia? Do you even know what it means? The phrase used to be household currency, at least in America, but seems to have rather dropped from view. Yet since it was coined by an inspirational essay in 1899, it has been the subject of two feature films and it [...]
We need more rights over our data – but Google was wrong to “forget” Robert Peston blog July 3, 2014 "THERE is no such thing as bad publicity,” Google must be thinking as the internet firm is once again in the headlines. This time, it stands accused of removing an article, written by the BBC’s economics editor Robert Peston, from its search results. Google is either being uncharacteristically clumsy in its attempts to comply with [...]