Tax cuts won’t cut it; the new Tory leader must bring about innovation July 13, 2022 As I write, every candidate vying to be the next Conservative Party leader – with the exception of Rishi Sunak – has promised major tax cuts. In many ways this is welcome, as taxes can deter investment and increase the cost of living. During a time where families are struggling to make ends meet and [...]
Politicians and voters must learn that every policy has a cost and an impact on growth July 13, 2022 The runners and riders battling for leadership of the Conservative Party are setting out their stalls. Tax, lockdown, defence and Brexit are all key issues which have been raised. On some of these, at least, there are marked differences between the candidates. But there is an elephant in the room: how to raise the underlying [...]
While vaccine inequality is Johnson’s sad legacy, a new global Britain must do better July 13, 2022 As we start looking back at the legacy of Boris Johnson’s leadership, his blocking of a global agreement to scale up vaccine production, at the height of the pandemic, ranks among his worst legacies. Next week, World Health Organisation negotiations resume on a global accord which seeks to prevent and prepare the world for future [...]
Letters: Time for a crackdown July 13, 2022 [Re: Former F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone charged with fraud by the CPS over failure to declare £400m assets, June 11] It is noteworthy that HMRC is pursuing a criminal prosecution against Bernie Ecclestone in relation to his alleged tax evasion. HMRC prosecutes in only a minority of tax fraud cases, even though increasing international co-operation [...]
Markets have bigger things to worry about than a change in Number 10 July 12, 2022 Markets tend to be one step ahead of everyone else. Investors are always trying to identify new risks and limit their exposure to events that hurt stock markets. That forward-looking ethos probably explains why they ignored the upheaval in Number 10 last week. Boris Johnson’s position has looked wobbly for a while. Investors priced in [...]
Opinion-in-brief: The Tory leadership race is training in the art of scheming July 12, 2022 A “dirty dossier” on Rishi Sunak – shared by an ally of Priti Patel – contained lines of attack against the frontrunner in the race to become party leader. One was that Sunak had been plotting this all along – with a campaign website domain registered in 2019. Sunak’s campaign team has denied owning readyforrishi.com, [...]
Johnson’s successor has a chance to rekindle the relationship with City Hall July 12, 2022 Transport Secretary Grant Shapps – now a contender to be the next prime minister – wrote to the Mayor three weeks ago regarding the future funding of Transport for London (TfL). His letter included a call to reset strained relations between City Hall and the government. Last week’s events were probably not quite the reset [...]
The fight against greenwashing is made harder by a string of incompatible rules July 12, 2022 So-called “green” investment claims, and the substance behind them, are on top of the agenda for businesses and their investors. International regulators are, as a consequence, trying very hard to establish a workable framework. Different jurisdictions have different sustainability disclosure requirements, and this is putting companies, investors and asset owners under pressure. ESG disclosure regimes [...]
It’s time businesses use their plethora of data to assist so many struggling costumers July 12, 2022 Whatever drama is unfolding in Westminster, tackling the cost of living remains consumers’ number one priority. There is still so much work to be done to help millions of people facing dire financial situations. The government has already announced new measures to support consumers, such as help with soaring energy bills. But it could go [...]
Letters: A renewed push for space July 12, 2022 [Re: A fresh face in No10 should find some policy rather than campaign slogans, yesterday] Over the past few years, the Conservative Government has made the promotion of the UK space sector a key pillar of its plans for the country’s economic and scientific leadership. The development of sovereign launch capabilities was already key, but [...]