Why it’s public sector productivity George Osborne should worry about June 30, 2015 Improving the UK’s lagging productivity record is a hot topic among economists and politicians at the moment. Next week, the chancellor is likely to produce a productivity plan alongside his Summer Budget, which is set to find additional savings and enshrine budget surpluses into law, all without raising the rates of income tax, national insurance [...]
Child poverty is thankfully not rising – but the archaic definition needs to go June 30, 2015 David Cameron is feeling the heat. This is not just a consequence of the sudden dramatic rise in London temperatures. The need to extract something meaningful from our EU partners and the increased threat of terrorist attacks are sleep-depriving problems. But the Prime Minister did have one good result during the past week. Despite widespread [...]
My vision as City minister: I want UK finance to be the world’s most competitive June 30, 2015 During my two decades in the financial services industry, I always enjoyed the important annual events that bring the industry together. It was great to be back at The City UK’s conference yesterday, speaking this time in my new job as the government minister responsible for financial services policy. I’m proud of the [...]
Is the business secretary right to criticise the CBI for backing EU membership even without reform? June 30, 2015 Mark Wallace is executive editor of ConservativeHome, says Yes I doubt that any of the CBI’s members would ever go into a contract negotiation in the way that the organisation has approached the EU renegotiation. If your opening message is that you will sign on the dotted line regardless of the quality of the offer, [...]
Pensions: How investment trusts can boost your retirement savings June 30, 2015 Pensions savers need to focus on making as much money as possible over a long time frame – anywhere from 10 to 40 years. With the government and many companies pulling back from generous pension plans, the onus for retirement security is being placed on the individual. But to build a good pot, retirement [...]
The weapons for dealing with a narcissistic boss June 30, 2015 Always avoid blindly following the whims of a big personality Much advice on leadership focuses on the benefits of strong leadership. But actually having a good leader is another matter: many employees regularly come face-to-face with leaders whose egos take centre stage, so-called narcissistic leaders. In 2004, psychoanalyst Michael Maccoby wrote an essay for [...]
Restaurant review: Bill Granger’s third UK venture leaves us cold June 30, 2015 Last week I wrote about how Stevie Parle’s thoroughly brilliant restaurant Craft London is being used as bait to convince people they might want to live next to the O2 Arena. This week, I’m heading up to King’s Cross, which is several life-stages ahead of north Greenwich. Although it’s still being built, King’s Cross [...]
Why wine collectors should flock to the Brunello Montalcino 2010 June 30, 2015 Brunello di Montalcino 2010 has already established itself as the greatest Brunello vintage ever. The vintage releases began in January of this year, five years after the harvest. Brunello di Montalcino’s ageing requirements are painstaking, demanding two years in wood and the total ageing requirement of 50 months. The vintage has received unilateral praise [...]
Wimbledon 2015: Andy Murray leads British charge to round two June 30, 2015 Title-chasing Andy Murray believes there is plenty of scope for improvement despite starting his Wimbledon campaign with a straight-sets victory over unseeded Mikhail Kukushkin of Kazakhstan yesterday. Read more: How much prize money has Andy Murray won at SW19? Third seed Murray was presented with a robust workout by unheralded world No59 Kukushkin, who [...]
FFP changes prove it was illegal, says lawyer June 30, 2015 EUROPEAN football chiefs Uefa’s relaxing of financial fair play (FFP) rules is an admission that the initial regulations were “excessive and illegal”, according to the lawyer challenging them. From today, Uefa is easing FFP so that owners of clubs can invest heavily without penalty, so long as it is on a short-term basis and with [...]
