The Jubilee stands as a landmark to the power of the national idea May 31, 2012 THE Queen famously asked a group of economists, at the height of the 2008 financial crisis, “Why did nobody see it coming?” Of course, most mainstream economists didn’t predict it. However great their expertise, orthodoxies prevailed. And the same is true of pundits in other areas. Take the monarchy itself: fifteen years ago it appeared [...]
Driverless cars show the journey of discovery is a long and winding road May 31, 2012 SOMETHING important happened in Spain this week, and not just the continuing revelations of the depths of its economic crisis. Volvo announced that on a motorway just outside Barcelona a convoy of four driverless cars drove 123 miles on a public road, among other road users, perfectly safely. The vehicles travelled at 53 miles an [...]
Spain can’t save all of its banks without sinking May 31, 2012 ANYONE struggling to understand what former Spanish Prime Minister Felipe Gonzalez meant when he said his country was facing “total emergency” should take a drive through the suburbs of any medium-sized Spanish town. Lines of empty and half-built houses show exactly why the country’s banks are on their knees and why, sooner or later, Madrid [...]
Are NHS GPs right to plan strike action over proposed reform to their pension schemes? May 31, 2012 YES Hamish Meldrum It is with great reluctance that doctors have decided to take industrial action for the first time in 40 years. The strong “yes” vote occurred because the government decided to tear up a fair and affordable deal agreed just four years ago. It has been replaced with a scheme that will see [...]
RAPID RESPONSES May 31, 2012 Mobile students [Re: Are student visa curbs damaging Britain?, yesterday] I wish to express my disagreement with Priti Patel on this issue. International students, and the money they bring, are one of the UK’s most lucrative exports. The majority of students who come to the UK leave afterwards and it’s a mistake to compare current student [...]
State and private school kids face damaging gap in enterprise skills May 30, 2012 GOVERNMENTS across the world are working to close the gap between education and the workplace. High youth unemployment has focused attention on schools’ ability to prepare young people to compete for jobs, and concerns over growth are shining a spotlight on whether education systems encourage and enable sufficient numbers of young people to become entrepreneurs. [...]
Romney gears up for November’s election that Obama could still lose May 30, 2012 EVER since it became clear that he’d be facing Barack Obama in November, Mitt Romney has frustrated the Democrats. The expected gaffes have rarely surfaced, his stump speeches have improved and the Republican candidate has remained on message, consistently focusing on the economy and jobs. It’s a development that has seen some Democrats, who had [...]
Italy must reform: It can’t wallow in the mire forever May 30, 2012 ITALY is the lumbering hippo of the Eurozone, more notable for its size rather than its speed. Compared to what was going on elsewhere in the run-up to 2008, Italy was not drinking from the cheap credit oasis in the same way as its neighbours. It wasn’t running as fast, with growth averaging 1.5 per [...]
Are the coalition’s efforts to curb student visa abuse damaging Britain’s economy? May 30, 2012 YES Nicola Dandridge Government policy to reduce net migration is sending the message that the UK does not welcome genuine international students. It could also damage a profoundly successful UK export – at a time when the UK economy needs growth. Competitor countries, like the US and Australia, are taking active steps to encourage international [...]
RAPID RESPONSES May 30, 2012 Agile office space [Re: London’s developers have a prime role in ensuring its future success, Tuesday] I couldn’t agree more with George Iacobescu’s assessment. It is vital for property developers to respond to changing business needs. However, greater property market flexibility could also be achieved by owners being open to new ways of making space available. [...]