Think fast! Don’t risk not protecting your ideas January 18, 2017 It's a true thrill to have a hallelujah moment, when, suddenly, the penny drops and you work out how to do something in a more efficient manner. Alternatively, it might be an idea for a new product, or a repurposing of a device for doing something new. But what do you do next? Write down notes? [...]
May’s plan for Brexit is bold and ambitious January 18, 2017 Critics of the Prime Minister (and of the whole notion of Brexit) had clung for months to the charge that she didn't have a plan and that the government was in chaos. Yesterday, the PM shot their fox. It is, of course, still possible to oppose Brexit, but no longer possible to claim the government doesn't [...]
The nightmarish state of the public finances makes NHS reform even more urgent January 18, 2017 While Westminster was awaiting the first lines of Theresa May’s Brexit speech yesterday morning, the government’s fiscal watchdog issued a devastating judgement on the long-term health of the country’s finances. According to the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR), the accelerating cost of the NHS will double the national debt relative to GDP by the middle [...]
Why do bad companies stay in business for so long? Just ask an economist January 18, 2017 A bookseller in the Yorkshire Dales has hit the headlines, branded a “shopkeeper from hell”. He called a customer a “pain in the arse”, and has been the subject of numerous complaints to the local parish council about his rudeness. To complete the outrage, he charges 50p as an entry fee to his shop. The [...]
Is giving Parliament a vote on the final Brexit deal a disaster waiting to happen? January 18, 2017 Denis MacShane, the former minister of Europe, author of Brexit: How Britain Left Europe, and senior adviser at Avisa Partners in Brussels, says Yes. The Prime Minister’s speech is just the first shot in what will be a very long two years. Right now it’s about politics. But over the next 24 months it will [...]
Business rates block foreign investment into UK retail January 18, 2017 Sky-high property taxes are making foreign companies think twice about expanding in the UK. Business rates have increased markedly since they were introduced in 1990, and have now become a barrier to foreign investment, according to a new report. A paper from shopping centre owner Intu and shopping centre representative group Revo has recommended business rates [...]
It’s May way or the Highway: Prime Minister Theresa May confirms UK will seek bespoke Brexit deal January 18, 2017 Prime Minister Theresa May laid out her plan for life outside the Single Market yesterday, warning Brussels that she will walk away from negotiations if the EU seeks to damage the UK by blocking a free trade deal. While May’s threat sent jitters through the City, business groups were heartened to hear the PM promise [...]
Ready, set, go: Liberty Media shareholders give green light to $4.4bn Formula One takeover January 18, 2017 Liberty Media shareholders have approved the group's $4.4bn (£3.6bn) takeover of Formula One, the company said this evening. The acquisition, approved at a special meeting of the US media giant's stockholders, is expected to close before the end of the first quarter. However, it still remains conditional on gaining approval from the Formula One governing body, the [...]
640,000 jobs in the sciences to be filled by 2023 January 18, 2017 The number of jobs in science, research, engineering and technology (STEM) will grow at double the rate of other careers, providing an additional 142,000 new jobs in the UK between now and 2023. In a report by the Social Market Foundation and EDF, researchers estimate that a total of 640,000 STEM jobs will need to [...]
More than hot air: hydrogen on the agenda at Davos January 17, 2017 A new initiative to place hydrogen at the top of the global energy agenda was launched yesterday by thirteen international businesses, including Toyota, BMW, Shell, Anglo American and Hyundai. Together the companies represent 1.72m employees globally and around €1.07 trillion in revenue. Plug-in battery powered hybrid and electric cars might be getting all the attention [...]