Let’s leverage Britain’s heritage as a great trading nation to lead the world in free trade again November 17, 2016 Britain has a trading legacy that few countries can rival, for hundreds of years sitting at the heart of global maritime trade, with our ports serving as a marketplace for the world. To many, this is just a legacy, alongside other traditional British hallmarks such as bowler hats and red phone boxes. But the truth [...]
As experts forecast a £100bn budget black hole, should the chancellor prioritise deficit reduction in his Autumn Statement? November 17, 2016 Sam Bowman, executive director at the Adam Smith Institute, says Yes. Whatever we borrow today we’ll eventually have to pay for tomorrow. So government borrowing just defers taxation – there really is no free lunch. It’s worse than that, though. Government borrowing crowds out private borrowing, so the more the state borrows for itself, the [...]
London’s Brexit wish-list must include rules allowing entry for migrants without jobs, according to Assembly Members November 17, 2016 New immigration rules must not prevent people without job offers entering the country, according to London Assembly Members, who have drawn up a post-Brexit wish list for the capital and the Square Mile. While Theresa May has suggested new restrictions will be a key part of any divorce terms negotiated with the EU, chancellor Philip [...]
Why the Autumn Statement won’t help the City solve the enigma of Philip Hammond November 17, 2016 We know he is not one for Osborne-style soundbites, and if his October speech at Tory conference is anything to go by, he should keep the Ed Balls gags to himself! He is, admittedly going on very little so far, a man with an “eye for the detail” and a “safe pair of hands” that [...]
Trump that: JP Morgan boss Jamie Dimon has snubbed Donald Trump November 17, 2016 JP Morgan chief executive Jamie Dimon has reportedly turned down the offer of a top job by Donald Trump. Fortune magazine reported Dimon said a polite "no thank you" after he was offered the role of US treasury secretary. Reports first surfaced shortly after Trump's election that Dimon was tipped for the top job at the [...]
House of Lords warned: Behave over Brexit, or see your power restricted November 17, 2016 The government has warned the House of Lords to toe the line on Brexit, or face revived plans to limit the powers of peers. A minister today revealed it would instead ask peers undertake “self-regulation”, but warned them over rebelling against Brexit in particular. Former prime minister David Cameron launched plans to limit peers after the House of [...]
The number of new affordable homes in England more than halved last year November 17, 2016 The number of new affordable homes in England fell by more than half last year, new figures have suggested. Figures from the Department for Communities and Local Government showed the number of new affordable homes built in 2015-2016 fell to 32,110, down from 66,600 the year before. The figures, which take in newly-built affordable homes [...]
How far will Trump’s war on climate change go? November 17, 2016 In a world of post-truth democracy, it is fitting that President-elect Donald Trump's new director of the Centre for Energy and Environment “is not a climate scientist. I'm just… the informed layman.” It would be truly fascinating and terrifying to take a peek at what Myron Ebell is reading. On the one hand, he believes [...]
Strictly star (and former shadow chancellor) Ed Balls wants Bank of England independence reformed November 17, 2016 The star of Strictly Come Dancing 2016 has spoken out on the Bank of England's independence. Yes, that's right: former shadow chancellor Ed Balls has called for the BoE's independence to be curbed in response to growing "popular discontent". He has co-authored an academic paper on central bank independence saying: "We need a more nuanced approach [...]
The Brexit bill? Chancellor Philip Hammond expected to announce £100bn black hole in Autumn Statement November 17, 2016 Chancellor Philip Hammond is expected to reveal a £100bn black hole in government finances in next week’s Autumn Statement. The estimated figure, built up cumulatively over the next five years, has been linked to the UK’s Brexit vote, because of the deterioration in forecasts since March. Read more: Public borrowing could overrun by £100bn over [...]