Letters to the editor February 10, 2013 Consensual leader [RE: Mark Carney will be more of a reformer than a revolutionary, Friday] This article is thoughtful, but I disagree with its second point. The Monetary Policy Committee’s current inflation target is already quite flexible; it is unclear what would be achieved by formalising flexibility. Mark Carney’s testimony was more candid than the [...]
There are alternatives to the NHS but we must face up to its failure February 7, 2013 THERE is a scene near the beginning of the film Casablanca when a crime takes place. In response, the chief of police commands, “Round up the usual suspects!” He knows this will not reveal the culprit. Doubtless, his staff know too. Everybody knows. But at least he can say he is taking action. The response [...]
Three technological earthquakes are breaking up businesses for the better February 7, 2013 WE LIVE in extraordinary times. Robots are cleaning floors, accompanying soldiers into battle and just starting to drive our cars. Artificial intelligence is turning phones into personal assistants. The internet is connecting more of us than ever, in more ways than ever. For all the economic gloom, remarkable technologies are transforming our lives for the [...]
Correct GCSE flaws or Britain will lose the global contest February 7, 2013 THE government announced yesterday that GCSEs will not be scrapped. The good news is that the exams will be significantly reformed, reflecting the need to raise standards for every pupil while pushing the most able. And it’s not before time. Having taken GCSEs myself, I remember how repetitive and boring they were. Filled with multiple [...]
The Debate: Will Premier League financial fair play rules have a positive impact on English football? February 7, 2013 YES David Lampitt Football’s finances have long needed a rethink. Clubs are incredibly valuable assets to supporters and communities. They need sustainable long-term stewardship, not a system of casino economics, rampant insolvency and a dependency on the whims of a super-wealthy elite. This can only be achieved through strong independent regulation that includes financial fair [...]
Letters to the editor February 7, 2013 Labour’s legacy [Re: Why Labour is the natural party of small business and entrepreneurs, Wednesday] Chuka Umunna’s ideals might be great, but he has incredible chutzpah to trumpet Labour’s credentials for helping small business. The last Labour government presided over a massive increase in the size of the public sector, providing a disincentive for people [...]
NHS failures will stay common until we hold management accountable February 6, 2013 THIS is a story of appalling and unnecessary suffering of hundreds of people,” said Robert Francis QC yesterday. For those who think that the NHS is more important than the patients it exists to serve, and the taxpayers who pay for it, the publication of Francis’s report into the failings of Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation [...]
Libor needed reform – but state control of market information is dangerous February 6, 2013 A£390M Libor fine for RBS and a $5bn (£3.2bn) US government lawsuit against Standard & Poor’s. In both the ongoing Libor and credit rating agency sagas, previously free and private information services are being pulled under regulatory control. The unwritten rule is that markets depend on information, that information should be competitively-provided, and that information [...]
The five questions Mark Carney must deliver answers to February 6, 2013 MARK Carney makes his first appearance in front of the Treasury Select Committee today. But what should the influential committee ask our new Bank of England governor? It certainly shouldn’t waste time questioning his salary. Whether the governor is paid £305,000 like Sir Mervyn King, or £874,000 as Carney will be, pales into insignificance against [...]
The Debate: Does the £15bn bid for Virgin Media mark the return of major deal-making to the UK? February 6, 2013 YES Andy Cox While the deal market has been slow over the past few years, a recent wave of high-profile activity at “big ticket” prices, like Liberty Group’s £15bn bid for Virgin Media, suggests companies and investors are regaining a taste for mergers and acquisitions (M&A). Our research suggests that there is the capacity and [...]