Making sure the shuttlecocks all fly on time in the London Games April 3, 2012 COUNTDOWN TO THE LONDON 2012 OLYMPIC GAMES 114 DAYS TO GO Q What was your brand’s primary reason for being involved with the Games? A It started with a belief that bringing the Games to London and hosting it in London was going to be a very good thing for the UK. We backed the [...]
How to end the euro : One Wolfson prize finalist reveals his proposal April 3, 2012 THE route for euro exit that I recommend requires the prior formation of a secret (and deniable) task force by either Germany alone, or (possibly) with France as a junior partner. This task force should develop a plan in which the first euro exit is the only one – with the complete abandonment of the [...]
We need a more radical answer to London’s crime-fighting nightmare April 3, 2012 BORIS Johnson wants to give the residents of London’s boroughs more say in how their neighbourhoods are policed. Boards of residents will suggest improvements to local police, monitor complaints from victims and oversee community payback schemes. If only Johnson did not share his party’s general aversion to the price mechanism, this could be the basis [...]
Let’s stop wasting our aid budget on funding lobbyists April 3, 2012 OVER the past few months I’ve come to realise that Ronald Reagan was wrong. The most terrifying words are not: “I’m from the government and I’m here to help”. Let me explain. Last month, I reported on a scandal in Tanzania where it was alleged that money belonging to European taxpayers was being embezzled, or [...]
Is the FSA acting fairly in its attempts to crack down on financial market abuses? April 3, 2012 YES Greg Brandman I believe the Financial Services Authority (FSA) has acted fairly under what have been difficult market conditions. Several of its key decisions this year, including its decision to fine David Einhorn and his firm Greenlight Capital, have established a clear marker to the industry about the FSA’s expectations of market practitioners. FSA [...]
RAPID RESPONSES April 3, 2012 Boomers bite back [Re: Pensioners are winning out in Britain’s battle of the generations, yesterday] Baby-boomers are not stealing their kids inheritance. People starting work then earned far less than their modern equivalents. Property may be comparatively more expensive nowadays, but cars and consumer goods in general are far cheaper. Ian Mair My wife and [...]
The outlook for China and its dependants April 3, 2012 BRENDA KELLY CMC MARKETS There are a lot of unknowns and contradictions when it comes to China. The state of its banking sector will be the decisive factor in whether a hard or soft landing is accomplished. While the institutions themselves are reporting high profits and a large deposit base; the levels of debt, the [...]
Watching the skies for signs of another Swiss franc intervention April 3, 2012 EVER since the Swiss National Bank (SNB) steamrollered the FX market in September last year, traders have been nervously watching for signs that it is preparing another move. But just how likely is this? As European financial woes rumbled on, investors took flight into the safety of the Swiss franc, rapidly strengthening it against the [...]
THE TIPSTER Aussie dollar takes a hit April 3, 2012 The Aussie dollar has struggled to make headway against the dollar recently. The currency has been hurt by concerns of a slowdown in the Chinese economy, although the latest Chinese manufacturing data gave the Australian dollar a lift on Monday. The Reserve Bank of Australia kept its cash rate unchanged at 4.25 per cent yesterday, [...]
Where the Champagne flows and the meat pie comes with foie gras April 3, 2012 LE BALCON 8 PALL MALL, SW1Y 5NG FOOD **** SERVICE **** ATMOSPHERE *** Cost per person without wine: £XX The Balcon is not somewhere you’ll have necessarily heard about. It’s not a buzz-generator. This, I suspect, is for two reasons: one, its location in the gentleman’s club hinterland of Pall Mall (which is to say: [...]
