The threat of no-deal is key to Johnson’s strategy September 2, 2019 Though it has been said many times during the UK’s ongoing Brexit drama, this week really is shaping up to be the most tumultuous we have seen in recent years. Boris Johnson’s lawful but controversial decision to suspend parliament during the run-up to 31 October has thrown rebel MPs’ plans to thwart a no-deal Brexit [...]
Short-sellers raise eyebrows but they have their place August 9, 2019 Here’s a reasonable statement: “For markets to work properly and efficiently, all parties need access to accurate information.” This claim can be found in the ‘About Us’ section of the website of Boatman Capital Research, but the philosophy does not extend to providing information about their own identity. Boatman Capital, the anonymous short-seller research outfit, [...]
The City is a meritocracy, but that only works if everyone’s given a go August 2, 2019 Sajid Javid has been culture secretary, business secretary, home secretary and now chancellor. In all that time I’ve only ever heard him give one great speech. It was, as luck would have it, at the 2015 City A.M. Awards. In Westminster and on matters of policy and politics, Javid’s delivery is invariably uninspiring – even [...]
Johnson’s critics will be confounded by the new PM’s liberalism July 26, 2019 There’s a good chance that things will go badly for Boris. He barely has a majority, his party is divided and MPs from across the house are priming their parliamentary grenades to thwart and disrupt him. On the other hand, it is at least possible that he gets a Brexit deal passed and triggers what [...]
Boris sings an uplifting tune but the mood music is more sinister July 26, 2019 Put aside for a moment the enormity of the challenges facing the new Prime Minister and ignore, briefly, the vulnerability of his government and the divisions over Brexit. Instead, permit yourself to enjoy the sight and sound of a leader who actually dares to exude optimism. Boris Johnson has pledged to sweep away the “doomsters [...]
Could Jacob Rees-Mogg help Boris Johnson to revolutionise our planning system? July 22, 2019 Boris Johnson hasn’t exactly broken a sweat in this leadership election. He’s ducked debates, declined interviews and appeared generally unenthusiastic about subjecting himself to too much scrutiny. His defenders may point out that he’s participated in a large number of hustings for party members, but these have been treated as occasions to give his supporters [...]
Why Taiwan thinks that freedom is contagious July 19, 2019 The grand Renaissance style building feels like an embassy, but it isn’t. David Lin talks like an ambassador, but he isn’t. His official title is Representative, and 50 Grosvenor Gardens is Taiwan’s Representative Office in the UK. Taiwan has its own democratic system, currency and military but its official name remains the Republic of China [...]
May goes not with a bang, but with a whimper July 19, 2019 This time next week Theresa May will be embarking on her first weekend out of office. Her successor, most likely Boris Johnson, will be settling into the sofa at Number Ten. Prime Ministers, much like chief executives, can get obsessed about their legacy. City veteran Martin Gilbert once said that leaving is hard because when [...]
Europe can’t afford to turn away from London July 15, 2019 Brexit may be something that the UK is doing alone, but its consequences will be felt far beyond our shores. This is particularly true in the case of cross-border financial services since London acts as a global financial hub. On the future of the City’s relationship with the EU, there has been little progress beyond [...]
Panorama revealed a Labour party that’s rotten to the core July 12, 2019 The Labour party has declared war on the BBC. In response to (in fact, ahead of) Wednesday night’s Panorama film about the party’s handling of antisemitism within its ranks, a concerted campaign was whipped up online to discredit the journalist at the helm, John Ware. How times change. Back in 2002 a group of MPs [...]
