Should the legalisation of gay marriage be a significant priority for this government? May 13, 2012 YES Ruth Hunt In his speech to the Conservative Party conference in 2011, the Prime Minister stated that “Conservatives believe in the ties that bind us; that society is stronger when we make vows to each other and support each other.” This is a position that Stonewall enthusiastically endorses. At a time when the government [...]
RAPID responses May 13, 2012 Initiative needed [Re: Coalition behaving as if we were in normal economic times, Thursday] This is a highly pertinent and accurate analysis. The government’s done absolutely nothing to tackle the burden of privately-held debt and nothing to redirect money spent on consumption to be spent on vital infrastructure. The coalition has undertaken no root-and-branch overhaul [...]
Archaic restrictions choke London and hinder its sustainable growth May 10, 2012 NINETEENTH century London grew as no city had ever grown before, from 1m people in 1800, to 7m by 1900. Growth was spontaneous. People across the country saw London’s opportunities and moved to the big smoke. And yes, it was smoky then! Builders responded to increased demand, creating the terraced houses, Victorian villas, and mansion [...]
The untamed imagination remains at the heart of true business success May 10, 2012 MAURICE Sendak, the groundbreaking author of Where The Wild Things Are died this week, leaving the world a tamer place. Sendak wrote books for children, but his influence has been far wider and deeper, reaching from Spike Jonze’s recent blockbuster film to many adult authors. His art was distinguished by both courage and originality. He [...]
Investors beware: Politics is driving how firms are run May 10, 2012 AS INVESTORS, we need to be aware about how what is happening around them shapes and influences our investments. And right now that means keeping a close eye on politics.What’s more, it is worth bearing in mind that macro-environmental influences are dynamic. A political decision that may not have an immediate impact could have a [...]
Was the Spanish government justified in its move to part-nationalise the ailing Bankia? May 10, 2012 YES Jason Gaywood This is a pragmatic and realistic attempt by Spain to shore up its beleaguered banking sector without overburdening government coffers. But it is likely to spell trouble for the wider Eurozone. Spain has grasped the nettle by taking a 45 per cent stake in the troubled institution. Parallels can be drawn with [...]
RAPID RESPONSES May 10, 2012 Fair regulation [Re: Is the Queen’s speech likely to reassure business?, yesterday] The Speech is a clear sign to business that the government supports fair and strong regulation. Many employers want to reduce the burden of unnecessary employment tribunal litigation and the Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Bill is a step in that direction. However not [...]
Shareholder activism proves that regulating pay would be senseless May 9, 2012 ANDREW Moss, who had been in charge of Aviva since 2007, became the third chief executive to quit amid increasing shareholder discontent in recent weeks, following David Brennan at AstraZeneca and Trinity Mirror’s Sly Bailey. Just what is going on with the public limited company, one of the great inventions of capitalism? It has provided [...]
The US public is increasingly looking at leaderless Europe with trepidation May 9, 2012 PRESIDENT Barack Obama’s official re-election launch on Saturday fell largely flat. Despite all the campaign’s attempts to generate as much hype as possible, the main electoral events captivating American politicos were taking place in France and Greece with the presidential and parliamentary elections respectively. As Americans prepared to bid adieu to Sarkozy l’Américain and witness [...]
Clinton’s looming date with death was on the cards May 9, 2012 I’M SURPRISED about Clinton Cards. Not that it has gone into administration, you understand – I’m surprised it lasted so long. It’s a struggling retailer with a gigantic high street footprint (861 stores in the UK, including 188 Birthdays outlets) selling a disposable product with no intrinsic value that you could replace with a free [...]