As government debt jumps to fund defence spending, our economy will pay the price March 9, 2022 Sanctions will clearly hit the Russian economy very hard. But economic prospects for the West are not exactly rosy. Twice in the 1970s and again in the early 90s, there were rapid spikes in oil prices; each instance was followed by economic recessions. The deep recession following 2008 was, of course, due to financial causes [...]
North Sea Oil won’t save us from the energy crisis if we don’t invest in renewables March 9, 2022 The UK has a fundamental problem with its energy supply: gas. For as long as we’re tied to the global gas market, the successful greening of our economy by 2050 – and the economic benefits and lower prices it brings – is not much more than a pipe dream. Our reliance on foreign gas –and [...]
Letters: Time to bank on it with Solvency II March 9, 2022 [Re: Insurers and analysts temper enthusiasm on Solvency II reforms, March 2] They say good things come to those who wait. The governments proposed post-Brexit reforms to the EU’s Solvency II requirements finally incentivises UK insurers to put their excess cash to better use with lower capital charges. Solvency II has proved to be overkill [...]
International Women’s Day and feminism every day March 8, 2022 In her book published last year, Amia Srinivasan wrote: “Feminist theory is grounded in what women think when they are by themselves, what they say to each other on the picket line and on the assembly line and on the street corner and in the bedroom, what they have tried to say to their husbands [...]
Wheat price rallies could hurt hospitality and cause food prices to spike warn industry leaders March 8, 2022 Hospitality and supermarkets could bear the brunt of rocketing record prices following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
First we need to cut fuel duty, then we must redesign our road taxes entirely March 8, 2022 In early 2011 at The Sun, I pestered the editor for long enough about rising petrol prices that he decided the newspaper should be doing something about it. A campaign to freeze fuel duty was born – with all the old-school trimmings. We even took post bags full of petitions signed by readers up Downing [...]
As inflation bites, Britain’s roadmap for start-up success needs to be kept up to date March 8, 2022 The rise in living costs over the next 12 months is set to be the highest in 30 years as inflation sets in. The UK’s Consumer Prices Index puts the inflation rate at 5.5 per cent, with some economists predicting this figure will rise close to 8 per cent by April. The Bank of England [...]
London law firms cannot continue to quietly take Russian money and clients March 8, 2022 In the face of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the silence from board rooms across the City’s law firms has been deafening. For too long now, global law firms with London bases have profited from work for Russian entities and oligarchs. Now, faced with dilemmas over taking a stand publicly and shunning Russian interests, many of [...]
Letters: Keeping a hold of our young talent March 8, 2022 [Re: UK’s leading fintech bosses call on government to ramp up efforts to overhaul regulation, Feb 21] Industry body Innovate Finance is right, we absolutely need to see more institutional investors and pension funds being braver in supporting high-growth, growth-stage fintechs. That being said, the consequences of this lack of available capital are far more [...]
Explainer-in-brief: Clearing up London’s air and TfL budgets March 7, 2022 Last week, Mayor of London Sadiq Khan announced he would expand the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) to include the entirety of Greater London. Drivers of old, polluting vehicles will have to pay £12.50 a day to enter the city. The first aim of this move is to turn London into a city with clean [...]