The economy appears to be coping just fine after June’s Brexit vote – but the real test is yet to come August 24, 2016 Two months ago today we were waking up to the frankly astonishing news that 52 per cent of the electorate had voted to leave the European Union. The pound had crashed overnight and the FTSE soon followed suit, losing 200 points on fears of a sharp downturn. In recent weeks we have been treated to [...]
Less silver spoons, more silver (and gold) medals: Team GB represents the best of Britain August 22, 2016 After Team GB’s exceptionally successful Olympic Games in London 2012, a report was published stating that over a third of its medal winners were privately educated. The research, published by the Sutton Trust, kicked off a round of that age-old and forever-popular British sport of moaning. Team GB’s success, while celebrated by the vast majority of [...]
The time has come for the Olympic Games to be held in the same venue every four years August 18, 2016 Team GB are having quite a party in Rio, grabbing medals left, right and centre. After last night’s events, our men and women sat near the top of the overall medal table, second only to the USA. Unfortunately the Olympics hasn’t been such a success for the host city. Rio is a wondrous location in [...]
Trump and Corbyn are pushing extreme views August 16, 2016 Surveys constantly reveal that a worrying number of Americans believe some absurd untruths, and crackpot conspiracy theories, about their outgoing President, Barack Obama. A poll last year, for example, found that 29 per cent think Obama is a muslim. A respected survey a few years prior put the number at 18 per cent. Republican candidate Donald [...]
Sick of the strikes? Job-threatening technology could lead to even more industrial disputes August 10, 2016 The strike bringing misery to thousands of commuters on Southern’s railway line may be merely the start of a wider trend of industrial action throughout the UK. The RMT union has got its tail up and yesterday declared that workers on the Virgin east coast mainline have voted in favour of walkouts, while passenger groups are [...]
New chancellor Philip Hammond should resist the temptation to splash the cash in the wake of the UK’s Brexit vote August 5, 2016 No one can accuse the Bank of England of shying away from its responsibilities. Whether you’re a dove or a hawk, it’s impossible to deny that yesterday’s move was an exceptionally bold attempt to help the British economy deal with the fallout from June’s Brexit vote. Attention has quickly turned to the government, with Bank [...]
Former chancellor George Osborne is responsible for turning the minimum wage into a political football August 4, 2016 Last summer, then-chancellor George Osborne unveiled his first post-coalition, true-blue Budget – and with it, a big jump in the minimum wage. This somewhat confusing re-brand saw the minimum wage become the “National Living Wage” (NLW), which Osborne decided would jump from £6.50 an hour to £7.20, and keep rising to £9 in time for the [...]
Concerns raised by free market advocates in Westminster after new Prime Minister Theresa May unveils a department of industrial strategy July 14, 2016 Prime Minister Theresa May set out her stall yesterday by merging two Whitehall departments into a giant new office that promises to deliver an “industrial strategy” for Britain. The Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy will replace the departments of Business, Innovation and Skills (known as BIS) and Energy and Climate Change (known as DECC). The [...]
London house prices set to drop after UK’s shock Brexit vote, according to chartered surveyors July 14, 2016 House prices in London are set to suffer a more severe blow than any other part of the UK, according to the first major survey to be conducted in the wake of last month’s shock Brexit vote. Chartered surveyors in the capital expect prices to tumble during the next 12 months, as post-referendum fears grip [...]
Small group of protesters gather outside London law firm over plan to push Article 50 through parliament July 7, 2016 A small group of protesters gathered outside the headquarters of Mishcon de Reya on Thursday, in response to the firm's plans to oppose the government if it triggers Article 50 without securing an act of parliament. The law firm, based on Kingsway near Holborn station, revealed at the end of last week that it was prepared to take [...]