Jacob Rees-Mogg’s Somerset Capital didn’t fail because of his politics December 15, 2023 The demise of Somerset Capital, the London-based emerging markets boutique co-founded by ex-Brexit minister Jacob Rees-Mogg, has sparked concerns about how his divisive brand of politics might have played in its downfall. Back in 2018, Rees-Mogg faced probing questions when it emerged that Somerset Capital had launched a new fund in Dublin amid concerns about [...]
Relax, the EU needs a last-minute equivalence deal with the City too November 17, 2020 How do things look when it comes to financial services post-Brexit? At first glance, not good. Despite chancellor Rishi Sunak stating that the UK would grant the EU access to its markets, Brussels is claiming it will only allow the City access to European markets if it is “in the EU’s interests”. With less than [...]
DEBATE: Did Chinese regulators have a legitimate reason for halting the IPO of Jack Ma’s Ant Group? November 6, 2020 Did Chinese regulators have a legitimate reason for halting the IPO of Jack Ma’s Ant Group? Tim Focas, head of capital markets at Aspectus Group, says YES. For any public listing, but in particular one of this magnitude, smart and sound regulation is of paramount importance. It can’t be one rule for one firm looking [...]
Time for City pragmatism to override political posturing in Brexit trade talks August 20, 2020 Just how much more time can Westminster and Brussels policymakers really afford to spend on shadow boxing? Can the UK government really ignore warnings from Brussels that the EU may not be in a position to grant the UK access to European financial markets? Conversely, can the EU risk being without access to London’s financial [...]
Can the Boris government really avoid Austerity the sequel? June 8, 2020 There is still a widespread view that austerity at the start of the last decade was somehow a political choice — that David Cameron and George Osborne (remember them) thrust the term into the political discourse simply as an ideological excuse to shrink the size of the state. But far from being a political smokescreen, [...]
Coronavirus: Global trade offers a route to recovery April 7, 2020 For years now, we have had to put up with endless rhetoric about how political and economic interconnectivity between countries has demonstrably failed to deliver prosperity for all. # Depending on whether you were on the liberal free-trade, or the more protectionist side of the Brexit (remember that) argument, globalisation as we have known it [...]
DEBATE: Was Gordon Brown right to sell off the government’s gold reserves 20 years ago? May 8, 2019 Was Gordon Brown right to sell off the government’s gold reserves 20 years ago? Tim Focas, director of financial services for Westminster think tank Parliament Street, says YES. While Gordon Brown could have sold at a better price, for the vast majority of governments across established economies, there is no real point to holding gold. [...]
Why an “imminent” Robin Hood tax is the latest nail in the EU’s coffin February 2, 2017 It is easy to be sceptical when any European Commissioner comes out and says something is imminent – particularly when you consider the ponderous and remote nature of the various institutions that make up the EU. But with Britain no longer having a say, last week’s comments from Commissioner Pierre Moscovici about a financial transaction [...]
Why the Autumn Statement won’t help the City solve the enigma of Philip Hammond November 17, 2016 We know he is not one for Osborne-style soundbites, and if his October speech at Tory conference is anything to go by, he should keep the Ed Balls gags to himself! He is, admittedly going on very little so far, a man with an “eye for the detail” and a “safe pair of hands” that [...]
A desire for micro management will only serve up political pain for the PM September 14, 2016 With party conference season just around the corner, how can one tell if the new PM is something of a control freak? Look no further than her actions over the summer break. Hot on the heels of announcing three new committees to oversee the work of ministers, including one for Brexit, civil servants appear to [...]
