Surprise collapse in Google’s share price offers a warning for all companies October 23, 2012 THE dramatic crash in Google’s share price and the temporary suspension of trading in its shares made headline news. The event was triggered by a 20 per cent year-on-year fall in profits in the third quarter of this year. As usual, there was no shortage of explanations for why this happened – after the event, [...]
We don’t need the EU to legislate for women on boards October 23, 2012 I N A closed meeting in Strasbourg yesterday, European commissioners heavily criticised a package of reforms proposed by the commissioner for justice Viviane Reding. Among the proposals she put forward, Reding argued for a compulsory 40 per cent quota for female non-executive directors across the EU by 2020, reporting requirements for medium-sized businesses, and fines [...]
Is the introduction of plea bargains in the UK a coherent way of tackling corporate crime? October 23, 2012 YES Barry Vitou US-style deferred prosecution agreements (DPAs) – effectively plea bargains – should provide a powerful weapon in the fight against white collar crime. DPAs offer a better way for the authorities to deal with wrongdoing and for businesses to resolve their exposure to prosecution in appropriate circumstances. The present choice for the authorities, [...]
Rapid responses October 23, 2012 Silicon vs London [Re: Why investors should take a stake in high-growth UK tech companies, yesterday] Silicon Valley is a hotbed of innovation primarily because of its culture of failure – it is ok to start things up in your garage, to take risks and to fail completely. The Valley didn’t start as a gleaming [...]
Why investors should take a stake in high-growth UK tech companies October 22, 2012 THE campaign to reawaken the London tech initial public offering (IPO) market has kicked off. Recent announcements from Downing Street and the London Stock Exchange should result in some small but important regulatory changes. They are important steps towards making London a major hub for tech IPOs. But regulation is not the only barrier to [...]
We must stand up for academic freedom against government restrictions October 22, 2012 WHEN academics extol “free wheeling” research, they risk being accused of an ivory tower arrogance that disregards their obligations to the public. But they should strongly counter such allegations. Choices of research project are anything but frivolous: what is at stake is a big chunk of our lives, and our professional reputation. The traditional compact [...]
A worm could turn the close fight for the US presidency October 22, 2012 LAST night, Barack Obama and Mitt Romney met for the third and final US presidential debate before November’s elections. The latest polls suggest the race is a lot closer than many expected – not least because Romney was judged to have won the first debate in Denver. Research on the psychology of elections underlines the [...]
As David Cameron outlines new justice plans, is he right to criticise current prison policies? October 22, 2012 YES Andrew Neilson If the Prime Minister wants prisons to work, the first question to ask is whether the right people are being sent there in the first place. The Ministry of Justice faces 6 per cent cuts year on year. And the agency running prisons and probation is forecast to spend £32m more than [...]
Rapid responses October 22, 2012 Female disclosure [Re: Is the coalition right to force firms to disclose the number of senior women they employ?, Friday] I’m not in favour of quotas, but there are many eminently capable women who are failing to make it to the top of their chosen professions. We know that greater gender parity at board level [...]
Elected police chiefs should be given more powers to protect us October 21, 2012 IN LESS than a month, all communities in England and Wales outside of London will undergo radical democratic change. On 15 November, 41 Police and Crime Commissioners will be elected with the one objective of cutting crime in their local areas. London isn’t being left out: the Mayor already has similar powers. Police and Crime [...]