People, planet and profit: How to build sustainability into your business February 1, 2016 Every business wants to be sustainable – this is, by definition, about being set up to succeed over the long term. For a business to be truly sustainable, it is important to balance three priorities: people, planet and profit. We all rely on people and natural resources, and we’re looking to achieve a profit. If [...]
Does the Bank of Japan’s shock move to introduce negative interest rates signal the failure of Abenomics? January 29, 2016 NULL
Excessive politeness breeds poor quality work: What’s the point of praising people for incompetence? January 29, 2016 I recently came across a taped phone call in which a Tory MP snaps “shut up” at her caseworker. At the time of its release, the call prompted widespread accusations of bullying, and the caseworker went to the media complaining about the lack of “sympathy” she had received from her boss. How mild-mannered and proper [...]
Forget a tech bubble: This is the start of 50-year Digital Revolution January 29, 2016 The possibility that we are in a “tech bubble” is a hot and much contended issue in both Europe and the US. So why all the concern? Many market analysts and experts, drawing on comparisons with the dot-com crash, are warning of a similar trend in the current tech industry, characterised by inflated company valuations [...]
Lower emissions, bigger economic impact: Time to celebrate our world-beating aviation sector January 29, 2016 The environmental impact of UK aviation, from CO2 emissions to noise, has been a key focus of the debate about the sector in recent years. And that focus has only intensified over the last year, with ongoing political discussion about airport expansion in the South East. While the government continues to agonise over where to expand [...]
Business is better off in the EU – now it’s time to say so January 28, 2016 After a life working in and running large businesses like Marks & Spencer, I have been asked why I wanted to chair the Britain Stronger In Europe campaign. The answer is simple. Nothing is more important for British business at the moment than our place in the European Union being under threat. Being in the [...]
Megacity London: Our next mayor needs the ambition to match the scale of the challenge January 28, 2016 The next mayor of London will have some difficult decisions to make. Forecast to reach 9m residents by 2020 and 10m by 2030, the capital’s soon-to-be status as a “megacity” will bring with it both significant challenges and opportunities. This evening, the main candidates standing to be the next mayor will be setting out their [...]
Iran is open for business – but don’t expect UK banks to rapidly increase their exposure January 28, 2016 Could you be doing business – or even holidaying – in Iran in the not too distant future? One of the Middle East’s largest economies and biggest oil producers has been off limits to most Western businesses for years as a result of extensive sanctions. But it is now rejoining the international fold, following the [...]
As RBS shares plunge on the news of a £2.5bn profit hit, should the government delay privatising the bank? January 28, 2016 David Buik, market commentator at Panmure Gordon, says Yes. Yesterday’s announcement that RBS has had to make further provisions of £2.5bn for the mis-selling of mortgages in the US and PPI, as well as writing back Coutts’s valuation, should have come as no surprise. The task of both former chief executive Stephen Hester and more recently [...]
Google’s tax bill is not an excuse to bash big companies January 28, 2016 Big business is seen as “above the law”. That was the line from the former Downing Street strategy chief, Steve Hilton, as part of his intervention yesterday into the Google tax row. Let’s be clear. Business must pay its taxes. Period. But this week’s debate should be about Google and its tax affairs and not [...]