We must stop using water bills as a limitless environmental credit card October 31, 2013 WHILE all attention has been focused on rising energy bills, Britain’s water industry is facing its own troubles – with its recent history characterised by drought orders, hosepipe bans, and tariff hikes. But the efficiency of the UK water supply is an issue that can no longer be ignored. There is new management at water [...]
The Long View: Antibiotics are in critical condition: An open culture will help us find alternatives October 31, 2013 HERE’S a Halloween horror story for you. One of America’s top experts on disease control has just announced that we are now in the post-antibiotic era. It is a moment that has been feared for some time, and its arrival is not a widespread problem – yet. But amid the relentless churn of daily events, [...]
Why we need a new deal for the UK to end the crisis of excessive EU regulation October 31, 2013 WHEN the British public voted in the European referendum 40 years ago, they were told they were voting to remain part of a Common Market. Businesses would thank them, the public was told, because trade is key and a country mired in debt and discord needed to be part of Europe to grow once more. [...]
Letters to the Editor – 01/11 – Regional growth, National security, Best of Twitter October 31, 2013 Regional growth [Re: Why the rest of the UK is failing to keep up with London’s explosive growth, Wednesday] Paul Ormerod is spot on – rigid pay structures outside of London have surely played a role in decreasing competitiveness in the rest of the country. National wage rates in the public sector don’t help. There’s [...]
Debate over Big Brother snooping is being stifled as our freedom suffers October 30, 2013 RECENT revelations that the US government spied on 35 world leaders inspired Gallic outrage, German sulking, and stony British silence. Yet as the latest transatlantic row erupts, we should care less about Uncle Sam spying on foreign governments – and more about Big Brother snooping on British citizens. UK surveillance over its own people increased [...]
We need more competition – not a full frontal assault on the pensions industry October 30, 2013 BARELY a day goes by without a government attack on the private sector. Yesterday saw the publication of a report proposing charge capping for pension funds. Management fees levied by pension providers could be capped at between 0.75 per cent and 1 per cent. This was not delivered with measured language, but as part of [...]
The Royal Charter press deal will have a chilling effect on UK journalism October 30, 2013 IS THIS the end of 300 years of press freedom? Yesterday, the Privy Council – a cabal of government ministers – asked the Queen to rubber-stamp its plans to underpin a new press regulator by statute and Royal Charter. This marks the first imposition of state-backed press regulation in Britain since the despotic system of [...]
Letters to the Editor – 31/10 – Show trials, Maglev trains, Best of Twitter October 30, 2013 Show trials [Re: After MPs grilled energy company executives, have select committees become show trials?, yesterday] What was striking about Tuesday’s grilling of energy company executives by the Energy and Climate Change select committee was the extent to which these sessions have become media events themselves. But this is a long way from what select [...]
Kickstart institutional investment to build new homes for generation rent October 29, 2013 INVESTORS have long enjoyed a love/hate relationship with property. An asset class dominated by commercial real estate, it delivers diversification and a reasonable yield in the good times. But in difficult times, upward-only rent reviews vanish, and fund managers are left wrestling with high voids and bad debts. Residential real estate, meanwhile, has largely been [...]
Against the Grain: Why the rest of the UK is failing to keep up with London’s explosive growth October 29, 2013 BRITAIN’s economic recovery is now firmly established. Output in the services sector, the largest part of the economy, has risen above its previous peak, reached before the crash in 2008. There is a widespread myth that the recovery is fuelled by debt-financed personal spending. Yet since the trough of the recession in 2009, the economy [...]