Lazy parallels between Ukraine and Taiwan’s plight only help Putin and Xi February 17, 2022 Beijing is watching developments in Ukraine with an eager eye. It has key economic interests at stake and a shared goal with Russia in undermining Western soft power and liberal institutions. It also has an economic interest, with Russia relying on China to bail it out if the West does impose harsh economic sanctions. In [...]
Andrew Bailey fell asleep on inflation and now it is workers who will face the flames February 17, 2022 Is there a comfortable chaise longue in the office of Andrew Bailey, Governor of the Bank of England? I think we should be told. Because it has become apparent that the Bank has been asleep on the job. In the year to December 2021, consumer prices rose by 5.4 per cent. We have to go [...]
Tech is an alluring bandaid for workplace misconduct but it will leave glaring holes February 17, 2022 Like many other graduates fresh out of university, Ashleigh Barnes was excited to start her first job, joining a design construction company. Her male-dominated workplace, however, soon proved to be a toxic environment, where she became the object of sexual innuendos and offensive comments. “Lots of really misogynistic things were said to me. They made [...]
Explainer-in-brief: Is there hope on the Ukrainian border? February 16, 2022 Yesterday morning it seemed like a pressure valve had been released, even if just slightly when Russia announced it was “withdrawing” some troops who had been carrying out “drills” on the Ukrainian border. After weeks of escalating tensions and a constant flow of European leaders travelling to Moscow to demand Vladimir Putin back down, it [...]
As the energy crisis hits pockets, we need to protect our future economy February 16, 2022 Against the backdrop of the cost of living crisis, there is a growing vocal minority in the Conservative Party calling for the Prime Minister to slow down on decarbonising the British economy. The Net Zero Scrutiny Group of backbench MPs in parliament have started to grumble that the government’s net zero plans will cost too [...]
The EU’s plans for a ‘social sustainability’ taxonomy are a dangerous intervention February 16, 2022 A few weeks ago, there were heated discussions in the European Union about the so-called “taxonomy,” which will give the EU Commission and European authorities the power to determine which investments are good (i.e. green and sustainable) and which are not. The classifications issued in Brussels would then steer investors’ money in the “right” direction. [...]
The dominance of high street banks is waning as they shun small businesses February 16, 2022 Shortly after the financial crisis in 2008, a wave of new UK challenger banks and fintechs began to emerge. The challenge facing this new breed of business was stark. How could these upstarts challenge the incumbent behemoths without the vast scale, established branch networks and centuries old name recognition held by the high street banks? [...]
Crude Awakening: The necessity of oil and gas in the green transition February 15, 2022 Oil and gas have a role to play in the energy mix of developed economies, even as the world transitions to renewable energy sources.
Letters: Will someone let the dogs out to get the Covid fraudsters? February 15, 2022 [Re: HMRC inertia to claw back stolen furlough money to leave taxpayers with £4bn bill, Feb11] The report that taxpayers will be forced to shoulder a £4bn burden as a result of HMRC failing to collect the money is frankly preposterous. Every time this is brought up Rishi Sunak claims it was as a result [...]
Explainer-in-brief: Fracking problems on the horizon for net zero February 15, 2022 The latest flashpoint over the cost of green policies has been about fracking – a way to extract natural gas and oil from shale by pumping a water mixture down into the earth. Around 30 Tory MPs and peers, including Lord Frost, are calling for the ban on fracking to be scrapped. They argue that [...]