A screaming silence from free marketeers is jeopardising the vital EU-US trade deal September 4, 2014 The landmark free trade agreement currently being negotiated by the EU and the US has set off all kinds of noise this week, particularly after unions accused the government of failing to secure an explicit – and unnecessary – exemption for the NHS. But from the coverage in the UK, you could be forgiven for [...]
The Wedgwood collection is a key piece of our commercial heritage – let’s keep it together September 4, 2014 We have three months to save a vital piece of Britain’s commercial heritage. The Art Fund, an independent charity which helps buy art for the nation, has already raised a heroic £13m. It is now seeking a final £2.74m in donations by 30 November to keep the Wedgwood collection together in its Staffordshire home. Waterford [...]
Why it’s time to unleash corporate venture capital to spur on startup growth September 4, 2014 The Bank of England’s small business lending figures disappointed again last week. Access to finance – especially for small firms – has been a perennial problem, exacerbated by the financial crisis and downturn. It’s therefore surprising that, amid all the ways government has tried to increase access to finance over the last few years, it [...]
As the ECB unveils rate cuts and asset purchase plans, can it save the Eurozone from disaster? September 4, 2014 Chris Williamson, chief economist at Markit, says Yes. Yesterday’s announcement by the European Central Bank (ECB) – that it’s cutting rates and will buy asset-backed securities and euro-denominated covered bonds from October – will help avoid disaster, but huge risks remain. The rate cuts will only have a marginal impact, and little is known about [...]
Our obsession with monetary stimulus will end in disaster September 3, 2014 It is now six years since the collapse of Lehman Brothers, and considering that the US economy has officially been in recovery for the past five years, that equity indexes have put in new all-time highs, and that credit markets are once again ebullient to the point of carelessness, it is worth contemplating that monetary [...]
Ukraine can’t win in this crisis – but Putin can be made to pay for his victory September 3, 2014 IT IS a standard rule of thumb in global risk analysis that the side in a conflict calling for a ceasefire is the side that is losing. Until two weeks ago, President Putin of Russia – seeing his Kremlin-sponsored separatists on the run in the face of a rejuvenated Ukrainian army – was all for [...]
Investors come first in the new corporate governance code September 3, 2014 THE latest version of the UK Corporate Governance Code will be launched by the Financial Reporting Council (FRC) this month. Setting the standards for good governance, companies with a premium listing must report on their compliance with the Code, but many others adhere to it to demonstrate to investors their commitment to best practice. The [...]
As entrepreneurs call for tax cuts to support startups, have politicians been complacent? September 3, 2014 David Lammy, Labour MP for Tottenham, says Yes. There is a real lack of ambition in support for the tech sector from government. Some efforts are being made to improve London’s hi-tech infrastructure, for example, but it’s concerning that the capital still comes twenty-sixth in the UK table of high-speed broadband connectivity, and falls behind [...]
Pitching it right – the fine line between bragging and selling yourself September 3, 2014 Most people are bad at this but Brits are the worst. British people love the self-effacing, self-deprecating understatement typified by Hugh Grant in Four Weddings or Notting Hill. Anything braggy and people could think you are brash and pushy and probably foreign – like the Americans. Or the South Africans. Or even worse, arrogant. Not [...]
Why an NHS tax is the wrong solution to the UK’s health challenges September 2, 2014 A NEW tax to funnel extra resources to the NHS is rising up the political agenda. Liberal Democrat MP Paul Burstow, a health minister earlier in this Parliament, proposed the idea before the summer. Sarah Wollaston MP, the Conservative chair of the key Parliamentary Health Committee, subsequently demanded higher budgets for the health service. This [...]