“Rise up”: The full text of Tony Blair’s Open Britain speech on Brexit February 17, 2017 Tony Blair has been absent from British politics for years, now – but today he returned in spectacular style, urging the UK's population to "rise up" against Brexit. Although some (including former deputy PM Nick Clegg) liked it, the majority of reaction has been that he missed the mark. Not sure what you think? Here's [...]
Millennials: The unlikely group supporting Britain’s SMEs February 16, 2017 The Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS) is growing with spectacular speed. Since its inception, £14.2bn has been invested through the scheme according to HMRC statistics, providing much needed capital to Britain’s entrepreneurial businesses. As well as providing opportunities for companies to gain early stage funding, EIS also provides many benefits for investors, and our research shows that [...]
Want a more equal society? Be careful what you wish for February 14, 2017 Consider this thought experiment. You have been transported back to 1912 and have the power to change the course of history. You foresee a century ravaged by the effects of two catastrophic World Wars, with a resulting 100m casualties. You also know the effects of violent communist revolution and rule, with a death toll almost [...]
Henderson shares hit as fund manager reports £4bn outflows February 9, 2017 Henderson Group’s shares dropped three per cent on Thursday after the fund manager reported outflows of £4bn last year. The figures Assets under management (AUM) grew 10 per cent during the year, closing 31 December at £101bn, as market gains more than offset the net outflows. The company reported underlying pre-tax profits of £212.7m, down [...]
The new indifference: Why markets just don’t care about political risk February 9, 2017 The market reaction to excessive political turmoil has been extraordinary over the last year. Any investor with a crystal ball would have shunned risk assets, given the traditional relationship between political uncertainty and equity market volatility. But they would have been wrong. Incredibly, markets dismissed each event with increasing disdain. There is no sign of [...]
We’ll never solve the housing crisis if we continue to blame it on house-builders and migrants February 7, 2017 England's housing disaster is well-publicised. Construction has not kept pace with demographic change and successive governments have failed to address the consequences. The hotly-anticipated housing White Paper, out today, will sound an attempt to address this and some backlash against its proposals seems inevitable. It’s commonplace for us to blame greedy house-builders or uncontrolled immigration, [...]
Sadiq Khan splurging £33m a year on “ridiculous” free travel for the flatmates of TfL staff February 1, 2017 A perk for the flatmates of Transport for London employees is costing London taxpayers more than £33m a year in lost revenue, according to new figures. A new analysis by London Assembly Tories has called on mayor Sadiq Khan to scrap the “ridiculous” benefit, currently available to anyone sharing a residence with a TfL worker. [...]
How the Trump rally affected stock market valuations January 19, 2017 Stockmarkets rarely rally in the face of political and economic uncertainty. The combination of Brexit, Donald Trump’s election, the return of inflation and prospect of higher interest rates would normally undermine demand for shares. But instead, stockmarkets have rallied with some indices hitting all-time highs. Investors expect his policies to reinvigorate the US economy, [...]
How the Trump rally affected stock market valuations January 19, 2017 Stockmarkets rarely rally in the face of political and economic uncertainty. The combination of Brexit, Donald Trump’s election, the return of inflation and prospect of higher interest rates would normally undermine demand for shares. But instead, stockmarkets have rallied with some indices hitting all-time highs. Investors expect his policies to reinvigorate the US economy, and [...]
Cairn ploughs on in the North Sea January 17, 2017 Cairn Energy says it has the funds to fuel its projects through to production. The independent oil and gas explorer expects first oil from its Catcher and Kraken developments east of the Shetland Islands this year. The wells are expected to produce 25,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day. Simon Thomson, Chief Executive, Cairn Energy PLC said: “Cairn [...]