France has ignored consumers and the digital economy is bearing the brunt January 14, 2014 PRESIDENT Francois Hollande would like us to think that France is about to bounce back. At a press conference yesterday, he detailed plans for a “responsibility pact” with business – a deal to reduce the burden of social levies on companies by €30bn (£24bn) by 2017, in return for businesses pledging to increase hiring and [...]
Miliband’s middle class pitch fails to confront Labour’s statist legacy January 14, 2014 ED MILIBAND is getting serious about shedding his Red Ed image. In an article in the Daily Telegraph, the Labour leader tried to rebrand himself as a champion of the aspirational middle classes. This shouldn’t be ignored. His argument was somewhat unusual insofar as it contained an implicit admission that the cost-of-living crisis and the [...]
Letters to the Editor – 15/01 – Scottish debt, Pension age, Best of Twitter January 14, 2014 Scottish debt [Re: Has the Treasury hurt the Union by backing UK debt until Scotland’s vote? Yesterday] When sovereign countries split, it can create complicated legal and financial problems in allocating liabilities, and the uncertainty over this allocation increases risks in financial markets. Given the obvious importance of the financial sector to the UK, it [...]
Back to the 1970s: Globalisation will force UK’s hand over export shortfall January 13, 2014 FOR MOST of the past century, UK economic growth has depended primarily on consumer spending and housing. Indeed, the current recovery is heavily driven by these two factors – even though the shape of this revival is gradually changing. But globalisation brings new challenges. We have to pay for much more expensive energy and raw [...]
Technology and the minimum wage: A big rise could harm the lowest skilled January 13, 2014 POLITICIANS of all parties, including Treasury minister Sajid Javid, have stated that there’s a strong case for a significant increase in the minimum wage. Their arguments were perhaps best summarised in a blog by Paul Kirby, the former head of the Number 10 Policy Unit. His economic case for a big rise is based on [...]
Britain must do more to accelerate exploitation of its vast shale potential January 13, 2014 TO SUPPORT the development of its huge shale potential, Britain desperately needs the backing of investors, local communities, and local government. The stakes are high – with the slow demise of the North Sea, we face rising import bills, a rapidly declining tax base and, as last year’s dispute at the Grangemouth refinery warned us, [...]
Letters to the editor – 14/01 – Cheap money, Housing crunch, Best of Twitter January 13, 2014 Cheap money [Re: Raise interest rates gradually or risk a much sharper swing of the pendulum, Friday] We need to ask ourselves what kind of a recovery is consistent with near-zero interest rates worldwide and continued quantitative easing (QE) in the US. If the US economy is adding hundreds of billions of dollars to GDP [...]
The three geopolitical red herrings that won’t spook markets this year January 12, 2014 EACH year, we release our Top Risks report, where we consider the ten biggest geopolitical threats to markets and economies, judged by probability and potential impact. What’s at the top of our list for 2014? Uncertainties about America’s foreign policy and China’s ambitious domestic reforms create the potential for volatility and surprises this year and, [...]
City Matters: Why the City will lose out if its fails to capitalise on London’s diversity January 12, 2014 EAGLE-EYED City workers may have already spotted this, but there are some slightly unusual adverts on the side of their buses this year. Alongside the regular adverts for London attractions and products, three buses have been specially wrapped to enable 34 organisations to proclaim that “We are all dedicated to diversity”. While commuters can be [...]
How the EU has used the environment as a protectionist weapon January 12, 2014 THE EU has long claimed a reputation as a promoter of free trade – for breaking down boundaries, and allowing capital and goods to flow across borders without hindrance. But protectionism hasn’t disappeared; it’s just taken on a more subtle form. The EU has been using the environment as a trade weapon. Late last year, [...]