Cost is key in the coalition’s brave decision to fire up nuclear energy October 28, 2012 IN 1956, the Queen flicked a switch and Britain’s first nuclear generated electricity surged into homes from the Magnox reactor at Calder Hall. This was the world’s first large-scale nuclear power station. A decade later, several Magnox stations were producing power, but investment in new electricity generating capacity was still insufficient. In the winter of [...]
The City must do more to support London’s young people into employment October 28, 2012 YOUNG people are the lifeblood of London, like any great city. They bring the ideas, innovation, and enthusiasm needed to drive our economy forward. Consequently, one of the most damaging legacies of the recent recession has been the growing number of young people not in employment, education or training (Neets). In the capital alone, there [...]
UK ministers are failing to support business tourism October 28, 2012 DAVID Cameron recently said that, in the global battle to win jobs and contracts, he believes in leading from the front. It’s fighting talk but, when it comes to winning work for our major export businesses, Cameron and his ministerial troops are regularly absent without leave. Tourism, and that includes business tourism, is a vital [...]
As the US presidential election nears, would a Mitt Romney victory be good for markets? October 28, 2012 YES Nancy Curtin A Mitt Romney victory would be a positive step for markets, given his opposition to capital gains tax increases, his support for immediate corporation tax cuts, and his business friendly, supply-side approach. We need to move away from a scenario where the government picks winners and losers in the corporate world, to [...]
Rapid responses October 28, 2012 Freedom to offend [Re: The public order act needs reform: It is an insult to free speech, Thursday] David Davis is right. If we’re going to fully adhere to this joke of a law, there’ll be more prisons in Britain than there are houses. People need to accept that they will sometimes be insulted. I, [...]
A will is an important way to protect your loved ones October 28, 2012 IN THE event of your death, your loved ones will not need the added stress of dealing with your estate. And making a will in advance is the most effective way of making a difficult situation easier. Not only does a will help to efficiently distribute your assets to people of your choice, it’s also [...]
What you need to know about inheritance tax planning October 28, 2012 WEALTH taxes have remained high on the political agenda in recent months. After the latest party conferences, it seems increasingly unlikely that we will see any new measures introduced in the immediate future. So, we are left with the UK’s only existing form of wealth tax: inheritance tax (IHT). Rather than being an annual tax [...]
A look inside Google’s Tech City Campus for start-ups October 28, 2012 GOOGLE Campus is a seven floor work and event space in the City’s eastern fringe on Bonhill Street, EC2, designed to encourage the next generation of entrepreneurs. It’s an open-source building, with floors run by individual partners – each with a different take on what a start-up needs to thrive. Anyone can join the Campus [...]
Chairman of the board: Learning to shake the hand that bites you October 28, 2012 THE chairman of the board looked at me condescendingly and said, “Don’t let yourself get too excited about that, Richard. We will just have two wait and see. These things are never certain.” I was slightly shocked at his response to my question about a potential large order, particularly since it was included in our [...]
Negotiating your way to success October 28, 2012 WE’RE a nation of innovators and inventors, we’re told. The march of the makers, the white heat of technological innovation, the slogans roll off the tongues off our politicians in a constant barrage of optimism – close to or devoid of reality, depending on your view. But we’re not a nation of negotiators. Or so [...]