The green economy race is heating up – and Britain has the edge More than two centuries after our role at the leading edge of the Industrial Revolution, the UK needs a new economic and social transformation. One that sees global carbon emissions reduce dramatically. One that is essential for protecting our planet’s health and improving quality of life for future generations. The government strongly believes that the [...]
The green economy race is heating up – and Britain has the edge More than two centuries after our role at the leading edge of the Industrial Revolution, the UK needs a new economic and social transformation. One that sees global carbon emissions reduce dramatically. One that is essential for protecting our planet’s health and improving quality of life for future generations. The government strongly believes that the [...]
Don’t panic – but remember Brexit will be a tough political process Everyone benefits from free trade. For years now the UK has had a persistently large trade deficit with the EU, which by rights should make Europe more amenable to doing a “business as usual” Brexit deal with us. If only life were so logical our Brexit negotiations would run smoothly and full future access would [...]
London: Our city of eternal resilience is not endangered by Brexit February 24, 2017 We have been here before. Seismic political or economic events strike like a tsunami; panic breaks out that London’s position as a leading world city is endangered. It happened in the aftermath of 2008’s financial crisis and it’s happening as Brexit looms. In 2009 the Economist observed magisterially, “Before the credit crunch, talk that London [...]
Maintaining London’s euro-clearing crown is vital to EU as well as the UK, says City of London MP Mark Field February 22, 2017 London’s deep, liquid markets and the breadth of its financial and professional services mean that it stands unrivalled as a European financial centre, which is one of the reasons why it has dominated the foreign exchange market in such a decisive way. The City’s traders now sell more than twice as many euros as all the [...]
The UK government’s crackdown on encryption threatens to undermine London’s fintech boom February 10, 2017 Talk of calamity befalling corporate Britain as we negotiate our EU exit is typically overblown. Nevertheless there is a potentially serious conflict in the making between the UK government’s stated desire to maintain access to certain online data for reasons of national security and the continental European determination to institute a modern system of information [...]
Politics dictates a quick-fire Brexit – but a compromise is more likely than you think January 26, 2017 Let's show some ambition and optimism! There really is a deal to be done with the EU27 that works in our mutual interest as we head for the exit. Not that this will be easy. I have been struck by the unity of purpose expressed at the highest level by our continental counterparties. Michel Barnier, [...]
It’s time Britain stopped dancing to the tech giants’ tune January 11, 2017 Few tears were shed last summer at the plight of Apple Corporation, whose sweetheart deal with the Irish government was ruled unlawful by the European Union to the tune of a £11bn fine. Predictably, Eurosceptic voices were raised on this side of the Irish Sea relishing the day when the UK will no longer be subject [...]
Clamour for a quick-fire Brexit will grow if Trump abolishes Dodd-Frank December 13, 2016 Worryingly the spirit of the age is to characterise diplomatic relations as some sort of zero-sum game. As a consequence the UK urgently needs to avoid the temptation of pitching our national interest against global goals as we extricate ourselves from the EU. Ongoing harmony and goodwill between the UK and the remaining EU 27 will [...]
Autumn Statement 2016: Looming dangers demand an urgent rethink of monetary policy in Britain November 21, 2016 A widely-held, but erroneous, view is that low interest rates act invariably as a welcome, unambiguous boost to business, consumers and the economy. Nonetheless, it seems almost incredible that the Bank of England has maintained an emergency rate since March 2009. The granting of (notional) independence over monetary policy to this institution has allowed politicians [...]
