Should the state pension age increase from 68 to 75 by 2035? August 22, 2019 Should the state pension age increase from 68 to 75 by 2035, as proposed by the Centre for Social Justice? Yes – Patrick Spencer is head of the work and welfare unit at the CSJ. The happy reality is that we are healthier and living longer. In 2017, the proportion of the UK population aged 65 [...]
How the offices of tomorrow can prepare for climate change August 22, 2019 Until relatively recently, climate change was spoken about as an abstraction. We knew it was a serious problem, but most people put it to the back of their minds. It felt too distant, too remote. We would agree on the need for “action”, nod sagely, then get back to our day jobs. That time has [...]
Boris and Priti don’t quite grasp how complicated ‘ending free movement’ will be August 22, 2019 “Freedom of movement will end” if the UK leaves the EU without a deal on 31 October, according to the government. At one level, this is a statement of the obvious – in a legal sense, free movement is an EU concept. Under Theresa May’s deal, which provided for a transition period until December 2020, [...]
That’s the ticket: Fans deserve a market built on transparency August 22, 2019 Imagine you’ve long wanted to see your favourite band live. Then one day, they announce a tour, with a date in your hometown in eight months’ time. This band hasn’t toured in a long time, and you know that they always draw in the masses. What do you do? Buy the ticket, of course – [...]
It makes sense to put the brakes on HS2 August 22, 2019 A policy may be considered well-balanced if it is attacked fiercely by two opposing extremes in the surrounding debate. Perhaps this is not always the case, but it is a reasonable rule of thumb, and it sprung to mind yesterday after the government announced a quick review of the exciting yet eye-wateringly expensive High Speed [...]
It’s a bittersweet apology from Hargreaves Lansdown August 21, 2019 With a hat-trick of senior figures set to leave Hargreaves Lansdown, one can’t help wondering how the investment company is going to revive its reputation. Prolific analyst and commentator Laith Khalaf started the trend last week, and yesterday saw the firm’s proposition manager and chair of its investment committee reveal that they were also stepping [...]
How to spot a superstar founder: Self-awareness trumps bravado August 21, 2019 We all know the scene. The sneaker-wearing tech founder stands there, in front of positive looking charts and graphs. Before them: five suited, scowling investors with money to spend and razor-sharp questions up their sleeves. The investment pitch has iconic status, popularised by TV shows like Dragon’s Den and Shark Tank. The reality, however, is [...]
The Brexit hysteria is misplaced – humans have always adapted and moved forwards August 21, 2019 There is a profound oddity about the whole of the Brexit process which rears its ugly head on a continual basis – namely the desire of certain commentators and politicians to talk down every development in this long-running national saga as being inevitably likely to lead to national ruin. And not just any common or [...]
DEBATE: The average CEO-worker pay ratio is down – so are shareholders winning the debate against excessive pay? August 21, 2019 The average CEO-worker pay ratio is down – so are shareholders winning the debate against excessive pay? Andrew Ninian, director of stewardship and corporate governance at The Investment Association, says YES. When you negotiate, whether buying a house or closing a business deal, you don’t wait until the final offer to start discussing price. It [...]
Stamp duty contortions and eco-warriors with private jets? Welcome to silly season August 21, 2019 August is traditionally the silly season. Brexit makes this year slightly different, of course, but it is good to see a fine British tradition still being preserved. Silly stories abound. Sajid Javid was linked (erroneously, he now claims) with the idea of fixing the housing market by making sellers pay the stamp duty rather than the [...]