Monetary policy is too crucial to leave in Labour’s meddling hands April 16, 2019 Even by Donald Trump’s standards, it was an extremely Donald Trump thing to do. Last week, the President nominated Herman Cain for a seat on the board of the Federal Reserve, attempting to hand oversight of the world’s largest economy to a maverick gold-standard enthusiast. The nomination appears to be doomed, largely because of the [...]
Leadership needs a rethink to keep up with the modern world April 16, 2019 The problems in leadership won’t have escaped you. They’re all around – from Oxfam and the Catholic Church in the not-for-profit world, to Bernie Madoff, Libor-rigging, and Volkswagen in the private sector. What do all these have in common? Was it a lack of information? No – in the age of data, all these organisations knew [...]
DEBATE: With the launch of his new Brexit Party, is Nigel Farage back as a serious force in politics? April 16, 2019 With the launch of his new Brexit Party, is Nigel Farage back as a serious force in politics? Lucy Harris, director of Leavers of Britain, says YES. Nigel Farage’s new Brexit Party has come out with an upbeat message and a fresh look – and that’s what many Leave voters are desperately searching for in this [...]
Scrapping no-fault eviction is a start, but Generation Rent deserves more April 16, 2019 Britain’s renters may well be celebrating the government’s plan to scrap Section 21, a landlord’s legal right to evict a tenant on a so-called “no fault” basis. The announcement on Monday is a step towards making tenants more secure in their homes, following recent research from Royal London, which found that nearly half of children in [...]
Shamima Begum: accused or outlaw? April 15, 2019 The Legal Aid Agency has announced that Shamima Begum, the so-called “IS Bride”, will receive financial assistance to contest the removal of her UK citizenship which home secretary Sajid Javid decreed earlier this year. The decision to grant Ms Begum legal aid has been controversial, with the foreign secretary Jeremy Hunt saying that it makes [...]
Sam Torrance: Tiger Woods has silenced his doubters with sport’s greatest comeback April 15, 2019 What Tiger Woods achieved on Sunday at Augusta National is almost indescribable. His fifth Masters win and first Major title for 11 years is certainly the best comeback in the history of golf and quite possibly in any sport. It’s difficult to think of anything comparable. To go through the injuries and personal problems that [...]
You can’t blame Brexit for the British car industry’s woes April 15, 2019 Quizzed by Nick Hewer on Honda’s decision to close its Swindon plant earlier this month on BBC radio, I suggested that blaming Brexit for the demise of the Japanese auto makers factory with the loss of 3,500 jobs was not the whole story. Certainly, Brexit plays havoc with the vehicle industry’s sophisticated just-in-time supply chain. [...]
There’s only one use for the Brexit extension: a General Election April 15, 2019 French President Emmanuel Macron did not cover himself in glory at the latest European Council summit. But he was right to keep asking the same question: what is the Article 50 extension for? There are various ways in which the UK can use the extension: keep trying to get an agreement (any agreement) through parliament; [...]
London’s tech sector can’t keep leaving our young people behind April 15, 2019 The UK’s tech sector is growing three times faster than the rest of the economy. Currently, London is broadly considered to be the world’s third largest startup ecosystem, with the mythical centre of the capital’s tech community being Old Street and Shoreditch, in east London. However, herein lies the problem – and it’s an embarrassing one. [...]
DEBATE: With annual house prices falling in England for the first time since 2012, should we be concerned? April 15, 2019 With annual house prices falling in England for the first time since 2012, should we be concerned? Matt Robinson, chief executive of data-driven estate agent Nested, says YES. There are absolutely people who should be concerned by falling property prices. With inadequate historical pension coverage, an increasing number of those approaching retirement are reliant on their [...]