How the West’s utopians damned Ukraine to Russian dominance April 14, 2014 THERE is little doubt that Ukraine stands perilously on the edge of disaster, if not full invasion, as Russian troops assemble on its borders and pro-Russian activists violently demonstrate in key eastern cities. So why, in response, has the West floundered? There is a critical division between the major western foreign policy schools of thought [...]
Osborne’s quiet revolution is delivering: Tax cuts boost growth April 14, 2014 WITH the “stimulus” versus “austerity” debate having receded, George Osborne likes to talk instead about his “long-term economic plan”. This has been dominated by a commitment to deficit reduction and a strong jobs market. But it’s becoming clear that Osborne wants to add a third string to his bow – the intellectual case for low [...]
Why the Lib Dems’ new mansion tax-lite is just as ugly April 14, 2014 SOME Liberal Democrats seem to have finally conceded that their “mansion tax” pet project is a bad idea. Chief secretary to the Treasury Danny Alexander has gone off the proposal to levy a 1 per cent charge on the value of properties above £2m, preferring higher council tax bands for expensive properties instead. But given [...]
Is the UK still open for business? Not if politicians keep meddling in markets April 14, 2014 AFTER seven years at the top, last month London lost its place as the number one city in the Global Financial Centres Index. Is this a temporary slippage, or should we be concerned? I have always thought of the City, and the UK, as one of the best places to invest and do business. We [...]
City Matters: Why Britain should be watching Italy’s reformist new leadership closely April 14, 2014 THE TURNOVER of Italian governments has been a regular feature of the European political structure for many years. Matteo Renzi’s recent elevation into the Prime Minister’s position has therefore been regarded in some quarters with ennui. He faces formidable challenges – not least questionable support within the Parliament, and attempting to reform the Italian political [...]
The airport debate has forgotten free markets April 14, 2014 IF YOU’VE ever wondered why the airport capacity debate has become so problematic, two contributions last week, each exemplifying one of the camps by which it is dominated, show why. First, International Airlines Group chief executive Willie Walsh warned that the UK economy risks falling behind if the government blocks airport expansion. He pointed to [...]
Letters to the Editor – 14/04 – Let the people vote, Housing bank, Best of Twitter April 14, 2014 Let the people vote [Re: Let voters kick out MPs between elections and watch standards soar, Thursday] The right to recall is a vital addition to Britain’s democratic toolkit. Some argue that it would mark the end of representative democracy – our MPs would become delegates, following the whim of public opinion. But who can [...]
City & Gild: Cities are brands too April 11, 2014 What is the brand of London, how is it being managed, who runs it and are we really capitalising on our greatest national asset? On landing into Heathrow recently, I was greeted with the same multi-storey billboards for the Tower of London that have been in place for years. But a few smiling Beefeaters stirred [...]
Letters to the Editor – 11/04 – Thatcher’s children, Problem with MBAs, Best of Twitter April 10, 2014 Thatcher’s children [Re: Why Sajid Javid could soon become the Tories’ great hope, yesterday] If the Conservative party wishes to win the 2015 election, it desperately needs a new leader and a change of political direction that encompasses the views of the electorate. Javid may be the only person who could pull off this dramatic [...]
Osborne may have sounded the death knell for private pensions April 10, 2014 THERE is a scene in The Italian Job in which the gang is testing how to gain access to the contents of a security van. The resulting explosion destroys the vehicle, prompting Michael Caine to comment, “You were only supposed to blow the bloody doors off!” Similar sentiments could be expressed about the Budget’s consequences [...]