Rapid Responses August 16, 2012 Smokers’ choice [Re: As Australia confirms a law banning branded tobacco packaging, should the UK follow suit?, yesterday] Both contributors focus on whether children are swayed by cigarette packets. But this ignores the fact that this policy is essentially the infantilisation of adults. All adults know the dangers of smoking, yet many choose to do [...]
Raise a glass to students’ success but we need to talk about A-levels August 15, 2012 IT’S A-level results day. Across the country, 18 year olds will be nervously waiting to find out their results, with thousands of university places dependent on the right grades. We shouldn’t hesitate to celebrate these young people for their months of hard work and dedication, as well as praising the teachers who have played such [...]
Romney’s vice presidential pick puts policy at the heart of the US election August 15, 2012 IN PICKING congressman Paul Ryan as his running mate for the presidency, Mitt Romney shunned “safety”. Instead, he selected a figure popular with the Republican base, but also a policy advocate with an unmatched grasp of conservative solutions to fix America’s $90 trillion (£57 trillion) of unfunded entitlements. This fact, however, will delight Democrats as [...]
The new top brass at HM’s Revenue has a taxing task August 15, 2012 THE top rank of HMRC is changing. Edward Troup has taken up his new post as tax assurance commissioner, responsible for advising Treasury ministers on shaping UK tax policy. He has considerable tax experience, both in the public and private sectors. But the job has never been more challenging. The UK faces pressure to improve [...]
As Australia confirms a law banning branded tobacco packages, should the UK follow suit? August 15, 2012 YES Amanda Sandford Branded packs are the last form of tobacco marketing. They act as mobile billboards that are visible every time a smoker reaches for a cigarette. Research shows that children are especially vulnerable and find colourful and glitzy packaging appealing, tempting them to smoke. Removing the promotional aspects of tobacco from packs would [...]
Rapid Responses August 15, 2012 Not short changed [Re: Why Boris owes me £90,000 for Olympic damage, yesterday] I couldn’t afford to travel from Florida to go to the Olympics and enjoy all that London and Britain had to offer during that fortnight. The Games are expensive, and London isn’t cheap. However, now the big show is over, I’m inspired [...]
Commuters are sick of fare rises: Let’s plug the democratic deficit August 14, 2012 COMMUTERS are suffering from more than just the symptoms of an Olympic hangover. Once again, the annual ritual of fare increases is upon us. Some newspaper headlines have declared increases of 11 per cent. In fact, the average increase for the so-called “regulated basket” of fares, due to come into effect in January 2013, is [...]
America’s vibrant networks leave it ideally placed to fend off rising China August 14, 2012 THE last three Olympics have seen a titanic battle between the US and China to head the medals table. If you combine the total of the last three Games, China stands just ahead, with 121 golds to the United States’s 116. But, the US topped the table in both 2004 and 2012, while China edges [...]
Whistleblowing is a career gamble even if successful August 14, 2012 IF THE reports of irregular payments by the defence contractor EADS turn out to be true, Ian Foxley’s name will soon stand alongside that of the former Olympus chief executive Michael Woodford. Whistleblowing is the name of this game, but what are the lessons for employees that want to spill the beans? The City has [...]
Is Sir Roger Carr right that government must design an industrial strategy for UK growth? August 14, 2012 YES Ian Mulheirn Sir Roger Carr is right to highlight the symbiotic relationship between government and the market economy. But developing an industrial policy to boost the UK’s competitive edge is difficult. What seems like the wave of the future can quickly become a damp squib. We also need to be clear on the ground [...]