Sadiq Khan interview: The London mayor talks tech tax, Brexit, Labour and Uber January 30, 2020 There can be no doubt that last year’s General Election redrew Britain’s political landscape. But for an example of just how different things have become, consider that next week a Labour mayor of London will warn a Tory chancellor against imposing new taxes on multinational tech giants. Sadiq Khan tells me he enjoys a good [...]
City will be caught up in the Brexit fish fight January 30, 2020 Last night, the European Parliament ratified the UK’s withdrawal agreement. After years of torturous wrangling following the Brexit referendum, MEPs delivered the final moment of theatre — complete with a rather touching rendition of Auld Lang Syne. Though the general message was one of friendship and enduring bonds, nobody should be in any doubt that a [...]
Britain is back. Great. But where to next? January 27, 2020 The clash of ideologies personified by US President Donald Trump and Greta Thunberg dominated Davos and the coverage of this year’s World Economic Forum. Climate change was the main theme of the gathering and almost all of the public-facing events and speeches were dedicated to the cause. But alongside the forum’s preference for addressing these big-picture [...]
We should support Taiwan to the hilt January 17, 2020 Some years ago I did some work that brought me into contact with Taiwan and, more importantly, a small but powerful group of figures in Westminster who had long seen the moral and strategic case for being on the side of Taipei’s government. As a consequence of this fleeting association, I saw firsthand the way [...]
Forget Big Ben, the real rows are ahead January 17, 2020 One of the more ludicrous stories of the week concerns the efforts of a small band of pro-Brexit MPs to get the bells of Big Ben ringing out our departure from the EU at 11pm on 31 January. Parliamentary authorities have done their best to shut down the scheme, saying it would be too expensive [...]
Flybe bailout reveals Johnson’s priorities January 16, 2020 During the election campaign, Labour claimed that a Tory victory would unleash “Thatcherism on steroids”. Now, just weeks into the new Boris Johnson era, corporate bailouts are on the agenda. Hardly the rampant free-market dogma we were warned about. The troubled airline Flybe has received a £100m temporary tax break, plus the promise of a [...]
Why Larry Fink is right to hail the great reallocation January 15, 2020 When you manage over $7 trillion your investment decisions don’t just move markets, they shape them. Blackrock’s Larry Fink understands this and his annual letter to CEOs tends to set out his big-picture thoughts on what companies and boards ought to be thinking about – and what they ought to be doing. His 2018 letter [...]
Boardroom shakeup at Buckingham Palace January 14, 2020 A shock decision that caught the establishment by surprise has led to rancour and division. Now, after hectic negotiations during which the media lapped up spin from each side, it looks as if a Canada-style deal is on the cards — following a pragmatic transition period. But this ain’t Brexit folks, it’s the modern monarchy [...]
Signs of an economy trying to grow January 13, 2020 The capital starts the new decade with a spring in its step. In fact, it bounced along nicely (and ahead of the rest of the country) throughout last year, and still found space to cash in some pent-up investment in the wake of Boris Johnson’s electoral victory. London’s dominance is a familiar story, but given [...]
Corbyn’s defeat won’t end the debate about capitalism January 10, 2020 The city, the wider business community and, indeed, our entire market economy may have escaped the ravages of Corbynism, but that doesn’t mean questions about corporate conduct or the nature of modern capitalism will fall away. Nor does it mean that business leaders and advocates of liberal, free-market economics should step back from addressing issues [...]
