Tech Nation’s fall must not mean the end of UK’s global talent visa February 1, 2023 The future of Britain’s global talent visa – otherwise known as the tech visa – is in doubt after the winding down of Tech Nation. It shouldn’t be. One of the successes of Britain’s transition out of the European Union has been the professional side of the immigration system. The transition for those seeking ‘settled [...]
In defence of capitalism? Why the end of CDs signals the triumph of (green) free markets January 25, 2023 A book lands on the desk at City A.M. towers: In Defence of Capitalism. A brave title in today’s climate, regrettably, and at points the arguments are even braver still – not least when the German author Dr. Rainer Zitelmann, an economist, uses his music collection as an example of how markets might well save [...]
Much of the blame for Sadiq Khan’s tax hikes lays in Whitehall January 18, 2023 Sadiq Khan is unlikely to be flavour of the month in too many London households this morning. Yesterday he announced a combination of top-up charges to Council Tax and an across-the-board increase in transport costs across London. The London Conservatives are, unsurprisingly, up in arms. But much of the blame lies not at City Hall’s [...]
Industrial strategy? Britishvolt and OneWeb prove markets are usually best left alone January 17, 2023 The name of the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy can leave economists of a certain ilk cold – particularly the last two words. In the UK’s political zeitgeist, industrial strategy has been closely tied to the dreaded concept of picking winners – with the government standing accused of picking individual sectors and indeed [...]
Reasons to be cheerful on the UK economy? They’re there, if you’re looking for them January 16, 2023 Nobody likes to be negative, so perhaps that explains the surprising survey results on our front page today. Perhaps confidence in the economy is coming not from sensible forecasting but from unguarded new year’s optimism. Or, to borrow a line from Blackadder’s General Melchett, “that’s the spirit: if nothing else works, then a total pig-headed [...]
Best of tech opinion in 2022 December 29, 2022 From Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg to algorithms keeping us in with our daily dose of otters, some of the best tech opinion in City A.M.
Best of political opinion in 2022 December 28, 2022 The best opinion and analysis of the high drama in Westminster in 2022.
Avanti West Coast’s incompetence is giving business a bad name December 15, 2022 The reputation of business and market capitalism as a whole can be battered and bruised by just one badly-performing company - like Avanti.
Solidarity? These rail strikes hit the lowest-paid the hardest December 13, 2022 In primary schools across the world, teachers spend hours pointing out to their students the wonder of the natural world – the way all the pieces fit together to make a whole. Bug-eyed kids stare avidly at the inner workings of an ant’s nest; others might be shown a video of the ways bee colonies [...]
Rail strikes: Time for the government to bang some heads together November 30, 2022 Government has continued to claim rail strikes are a private discussion - but it's time for them to muscle in and find a deal