The government is off track with its uneconomic transport policy July 16, 2012 IS ELECTRIFYING branch lines in Wales a top priority for transport investment? It seems unlikely. But then again the government’s plans to invest £9.4bn in rail infrastructure show scant regard for economics. Cynical political calculation seems to be the driving force. Regional interests have long complained that London receives a disproportionate share of transport spending. [...]
Creative destruction means corporate giants rarely outlast their usefulness July 16, 2012 I LIVE just outside Hemel Hempstead, where one of its most famous landmarks has recently been converted into an apartment complex. Kodak Tower, as it is commonly known, was built in the 1960s as Kodak Eastman’s European headquarters. It’s a beaming symbol of the company’s presence in the town. Designed by Thomas Bennett, it was [...]
Why Britain must not veto banking union for Europe July 16, 2012 DAVID Cameron risks facing his own personal European groundhog day. A watershed European summit last month advanced proposals for a Eurozone banking union. Final approval is due in December. The aim is to break the fatal link between euro area banks and sovereigns. Less painful for Germany than eurobonds, but seen as credible by financial [...]
Does London need designated Games lanes to manage road traffic during the Olympics? July 16, 2012 YES Gareth Emmerson The Olympic Road Network (ORN) is a requirement of the Host City contract and is vital in ensuring all athletes, officials and the world’s media get to their London 2012 Games events on time. In total, the ORN covers 109 miles across London, although Games lanes will only be used on 30 [...]
RAPID RESPONSES July 16, 2012 Building problems [Re: London homes still horribly expensive for first time buyers, yesterday] Unfortunately, policy-makers are stuck in a house building dilemma. If they supply more homes to help first-time buyers, the price of the average home will drop – therefore moving many existing homeowners into negative equity. Stephen Bishop Private sector contractors are certainly better [...]
High-frequency trading is not the devil behind every market mishap July 15, 2012 TO SAY that high-frequency trading (HFT) is blamed for every big financial mishap is to exaggerate – but only slightly. Regardless of the hard evidence from academics, exchanges and regulators about the positive impact of HFT, the critics continue to dominate headlines. It’s not hard to see why. Innovation in any industry has always attracted [...]
Shareholders can find a potent ally in activist funds July 15, 2012 THE so-called shareholder spring – in which shareholders have been revolting against the pay of chief executives of major corporations like Barclays, Aviva, and William Hill – is gaining momentum. And activist hedge funds, which pressure public companies to make changes to improve a company’s share price, will increasingly drive this phenomenon. Many regard hedge [...]
The whole City must work to rebuild the trust destroyed by a rotten few July 15, 2012 AFTER weeks of problems in the banking sector making front pages, it’s time we start taking steps to move business back to where it belongs: the business sections of our papers (though that would, of course, be hard in the case of this newspaper). Reputation matters and it’s the driving force behind any good business. [...]
After China’s growth slowed to 7.6 per cent last quarter, should we remain optimistic? July 15, 2012 YES Duncan Innes-Ker China’s economy slowed in the last six months but, in contrast to the downturn of 2008, the local jobs market has held up well. It’s hard to be that worried about a country in which the average city-dweller saw their income rise 13.3 per cent between the first half of this year [...]
RAPID responses July 15, 2012 Health solutions [Re: Demographic timebomb will force government to downsize, Friday] There are plenty of other healthcare models to explore to avoid the incipient funding crisis. One is the Singapore model of health savings accounts, which provides direct subsidies to the less well-off and catastrophe insurance to pay for huge one-off costs. Another is the [...]