Why stammering didn’t hold back my career at E&Y October 21, 2012 WHAT do Moses, George VI, Sir Winston Churchill, Charles Darwin, Emily Blunt, Bruce Willis, and Julia Roberts have in common? They all suffered, or suffer, from a stammer. Today is International Stammering Awareness Day. And an increasing number of organisations in the UK are now waking up to the potential that stammerers hold. They’re taking [...]
After China’s growth rate fell to 7.4 per cent last quarter, can we expect a hard landing? October 21, 2012 YES Detlev Schlichter The international consensus is not bearish enough on China. Its strong growth rates since 2008 have been the result of massive state intervention, particularly through huge money printing and state-sponsored investment spending, possible on this scale because China is still Communist. Its money supply has doubled since 2008 and is still growing [...]
Rapid responses October 21, 2012 Start-up nation [Re: Google’s awful day reminds us it is becoming less special, Friday] I was interested to read Allister Heath’s comments on Google settling down to mundane normality. I have started half a dozen tech businesses in my time, and I agree that turning a tech start-up into a successful company is a path [...]
The reason Cameron is wrong in humiliating energy tariff debacle October 18, 2012 IT IS always disappointing for politicians when a confused announcement turns a popular idea into a communications disaster. George Osborne experienced that pain earlier this year when he announced a freeze in fuel duty and, thanks to the timing, the front pages the next days were about U-turns and not lower taxes. At Prime Minister’s [...]
You can’t always get what you want but the Rolling Stones defy the gloom October 18, 2012 DON’T paint Mick Jagger too black. The Rolling Stones have come in for criticism over high ticket prices for their fiftieth anniversary gigs at the O2, which go on sale this morning. But I have some sympathy for the devil. While the cost may have disappointed some of the veteran rock band’s passionate fans, it’s [...]
Black Monday and why confidence is the key to revival October 18, 2012 TODAY is the twenty-fifth anniversary of Black Monday, when stock markets around the world spectacularly crashed and the FTSE 100 plunged from over 2,300 to depths of near 1,500. Although 1987 is long ago, and we’ve reasonably moved on to consider more recent financial disasters, Britain’s return to confidence then holds lessons for politicians and [...]
Is the coalition right to force firms to disclose the number of senior women they employ? October 18, 2012 YES Eleanor Tabi Haller-Jorden Gender diversity in business leadership offers opportunities for new perspectives, innovative thinking, and increased competitiveness. Our research has found a clear and positive correlation between women board directors and enhanced corporate financial performance, particularly when the commitment to gender diverse leadership is sustained over time. But the impact of women board [...]
Rapid responses October 18, 2012 Greek reform [Re: Greece must stop hitting snooze and wake up to economic reform, yesterday] Although Matthew Melchiorre is right to criticise Greece’s politicians for failing to reform their state, he misses a bigger issue. Politicians aren’t operating in a vacuum. Much of the Greek public – quite unlike the Estonians or Irish – doesn’t accept [...]
Greece must stop hitting snooze and wake up to economic reform October 17, 2012 WHEN the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and European finance ministers meet today at the European Union (EU) summit, they are bound to butt heads over the decision to release Greece’s next €31.5bn bailout installment. The prospect of default may be a possibility once again. European leaders and international lenders will likely come to an eleventh-hour [...]
Obama has reopened the campaign by denying Romney a knock-out blow October 17, 2012 TUESDAY night’s presidential debate between Barack Obama and Mitt Romney may have had the occasional spark, but it lacked fireworks. Rather than a dazzling spectacle, it was noteworthy for two – or perhaps three – lacklustre performances. Having been overwhelmingly trounced by Romney in the first debate, this was the President’s chance to stop the [...]