Trump’s tariffs reveal reality of Dealmaker-in-Chief February 4, 2025 Things happen quickly in Trump’s America. On Saturday, the US President announced sweeping tariffs on imports from China, Canada and Mexico, in a move that sparked panic among allies as far away as Japan and the EU. By yesterday afternoon, analysts were predicting that the Canadian and Mexican economies would be plunged into recession as [...]
The Week in Business: is Reeves right to be an optimist? January 31, 2025 Rachel Reeves has been reset, but should we buy into this new optimistic Chancellor?
Politicians should drop their obsession with Silicon Valley January 30, 2025 Successive British politicians have reached for Silicon Valley – or the idea of Silicon Valley – every time they’ve wanted to project a vision of the future. In 2010 David Cameron set out plans to turn East London into “a world-leading tech city to rival Silicon Valley.” Seven years later, Theresa May’s government was still [...]
Is this the age of the unfiltered CEO? January 29, 2025 Mark Zuckerberg’s recent conversation with podcaster Joe Rogan stays in my mind for a number of reasons. The idea of the world’s Nerd-in-Chief stripping off and shooting pigs with a bow and arrow was one of the more bizarre images to emerge from the chat, along with his slightly cringeworthy enthusiasm for fighting other men [...]
Glaring contradiction at heart of government growth agenda January 28, 2025 In the Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Act of 2013 (stay with me) the Competition Commission and the Office of Fair Trading were abolished, and in their place emerged the Competition and Markets Authority. The 2013 Act enshrined the regulator’s remit and responsibilities, with a hefty focus on protecting consumers. On the CMA’s website, they summarise [...]
The Week in Business: Reeves tries to rescue the non-doms January 24, 2025 It’s a funny old world when the pleas of pensioners, farmers and shopkeepers fall on deaf ears but a Labour chancellor flies to Davos to break the news that she’s “listened to the concerns of the non-dom community” – and will be watering down her assault on their tax arrangements. Let’s take a look at [...]
Trump should read Javier Milei’s 2024 Davos speech January 22, 2025 This year, perhaps more than ever, the global gathering at Davos offers something of a safe space for those still reeling from the 47th President’s inauguration, his speech and subsequent flurry of Executive Orders. Sessions scheduled at this year’s World Economic Forum include Investing in Diversity, Safeguarding Nature, The Road to COP30, Equity Beyond Identity [...]
Going for growth is a game of risk that ministers must embrace January 21, 2025 In the words of the Lord Mayor of London, “the only way you get growth is via risk.” Alastair King made this observation early in November last year, before it was fashionable. These days, it seems everyone’s discovering their appetite for risk. The notion that professional regulators could magic up some pro-growth policies has attracted [...]
The Week in Business, with Christian May: anyone got any growth ideas? January 17, 2025 This week, City AM Editor Christian May looks at the government's search for growth and asks whether the UK's army of regulators are best placed to help.
Reeves has dodged a bullet but she’s surrounded by landmines January 16, 2025 After all the excitement of a ministerial resignation, it’s time to check in on the government’s growth agenda. After all, the fate of individual politicians is of no significance when viewed against the major economic challenges facing the government, and the country. Talking to City CEOs, particularly those in the pension and investment sectors, it’s [...]
