Galliford Try joins the Winters of discontent October 31, 2019 Standard Chartered, Lloyds Banking Group, Aviva and BT Group: even the Investment Association (IA) must have been surprised by the rich seam of targets it uncovered when it launched a campaign to curb the lavish pension perks enjoyed by the chief executives of listed companies. A quarter of FTSE 100 bosses have seen their pension [...]
DEBATE: Is Labour set to outperform its 2017 result in this election? October 31, 2019 Is Labour set to outperform its 2017 result in this election? YES, says James Meadway, an economist and former adviser to John McDonnell A solid guide to forecasting British politics is to look at whatever the Westminster consensus thinks, and assume the opposite. The pundits got Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership victory wrong, they got the referendum [...]
This may be the ideal time for a debate on a written constitution October 31, 2019 Recent events in parliament have led many people to ask whether this country needs a proper – or at least written – constitution. This suggests that we do not possess either of these things already. This is to some degree misguided, as significant parts of our constitution are already written and enshrined in legislation, all [...]
Tax cuts could do for our economy today what the Reformation did 502 years ago October 31, 2019 On this day in 1517, German monk Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses to the door of All Saints’ church in Wittenberg. In so doing, Luther set in motion a series of events which would have a dramatic impact on the political landscape of Europe, transform the economy, and alter the lives of ordinary people [...]
It’s Halloween: Beware the horror of an inescapable Brexit deadline October 31, 2019 By the pricking of my thumbs, something wicked this way comes. And, though it may not be the devilry and delight of a Halloween Brexit, the new horror of an Advent election should fill us all with dread. Of the many spooky things in this world, the deadline is perhaps the most tense, highly-strung genre [...]
Can Boris Johnson magic the most important rabbit of all from out of his hat? October 31, 2019 Dynamo and Derren Brown had better watch out, for there is a new challenger looking to break through and compete for the title of Britain’s finest practitioner of magical arts: Boris Johnson. For his first act, our putative contender conjured up a Brexit deal with the EU that had previously been described as impossible to [...]
What problems do savers face when transferring their pensions? October 30, 2019 If you want to transfer your pension to another company, you could find it quicker to fly to Mars. That’s not an exaggeration – in some instances, it can take six months for your provider to process your request, so it’s hardly surprising that some people simply don’t bother trying to move their money at [...]
The real question is: socialism, yes or no? October 30, 2019 Three and a half years after the Brexit referendum and two and a half years since the last General Election, voters will be invited back to the polling booths on 12 December to shake the parliamentary snow globe once again. An election isn’t required by law until May 2022 — imagine that — but the [...]
How Amazon is inspiring the next generation of engineering October 30, 2019 When I was a teenager growing up in the 80s, I can clearly remember the “practical” lessons at school, and the satisfaction of building things – like my first ever circuit to power a lightbulb. These moments undoubtedly shaped my choice to become an engineer. Those “eureka” moments are powerful for any young person. When [...]
London can show the country how to do democracy better October 30, 2019 A General Election is coming, and I am leaving parliament to run as an independent candidate for mayor of London. I am running to be mayor and not for parliament because I find Westminster increasingly depressing as it loses more and more of its meaning and purpose in stale divisive rows. And I believe that [...]