The creative sector is vital to London – we must save it before it is too late The creative sector is vital – we must save it before it is too late Save our arts. That is the rallying call. It is a worthy one. The UK’s creative sector is a dynamic part of the economy, but it has been among the areas hit hardest by the coronavirus crisis and looks likely to recover last. While areas like retail and housing are rebounding solidly, the arts are prevented [...]
It’s time for a fresh UK-China relationship The UK and China need to develop a fresh relationship The UK needs a fresh template for its relationship with China. Central to this should be a differentiation between strategic and non-strategic areas. This would allow UK businesses to know where the government has set its red lines. In 2015, the UK and China’s relationship was red hot—a “golden era”—with President Xi making a state [...]
A pro-growth vision for the UK economy The UK needs a pro-growth economic policy. That is one of the key lessons likely to arise from this crisis. It is also the central message of a new report that I have co-authored for the think tank Policy Exchange. The pro-growth strategy should be based on three arrows: credible fiscal activism, monetary and financial [...]
Understanding what’s driving market reactions is vital May 20, 2020 Our lack of understanding of the coronavirus has added to the challenges confronting politicians and policy makers in recent months, and this in turn has fed the uncertainty impacting financial markets. There are six broad areas influencing markets: the virus itself; the economic picture; the corporate outlook; policy; second-round effects; and lessons from the past. [...]
The top dogs of global finance gather this week to confront economic storm clouds October 14, 2019 Will there be a global recession? What next for policy? Where are the major financial risks? These questions will be to the forefront of minds this week in Washington as the annual meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank take place. Policymakers from across the globe will be in attendance, plus over 10,000 participants from [...]
DEBATE: Should the City be optimistic about 2018? January 3, 2018 Should the City be optimistic about 2018? Gerard Lyons, chief economic strategist at Netwealth Investments, says YES. Be positive. The City will get a boost from LSD this year. L is for liquidity, which remains ample as the Bank of Japan and the European Central Bank continue to ease, while the US Federal Reserve and [...]
6 key Budget 2017 takeaways November 23, 2017 Work in progress and still some way to go – that was my immediate take on the Budget. The good news was that the Chancellor recognised the need to position the UK for the great opportunities and significant challenges ahead. Despite this, far more needs to be done. First, the Chancellor and The Treasury are [...]
Thoughts ahead of the Budget November 20, 2017 This coming week is the second Budget of the year, the first of the new Parliament and the penultimate one before the UK leaves the EU in March 2019. The UK may prolong its tenure in the EU through a yet-to-be-agreed transition deal, but even so we are just over half-way through the Article 50 [...]
President Xi’s economic aim and the China Dream October 27, 2017 Following the opening of the 19th National People's Congress in Beijing, our chief economic strategist Gerard Lyons gave his personal view on President Xi's main speech. Our investment committee keeps fully abreast of global affairs, both in terms of the opportunities they offer and the wider implications. The Chinese NPC is a political gathering and [...]
UK inflation rises, adding to pressure on rates October 20, 2017 There are two key domestic issues this week for UK financial markets. One is the latest inflation news and the implications for interest rates. The second is the ongoing Brexit discussions and what might the latest phase imply for settling. Let's focus here on the inflation news. This week's data release showed that inflation rose [...]
