We should always heed the law of unintended consequences June 5, 2014 THERE were two reactions to yesterday’s Queen Speech: critics dismissed it as lightweight in the extreme, a collection of reheated policies seasoned with a little trivia; supporters celebrated a government that understands that passing fewer laws is often better than frenetic legislating. Both sides were wrong. For a start, there are revolutionary pension bills in [...]
We should always heed the law of unintended consequences June 4, 2014 THERE were two reactions to yesterday’s Queen Speech: critics dismissed it as lightweight in the extreme, a collection of reheated policies seasoned with a little trivia; supporters celebrated a government that understands that passing fewer laws is often better than frenetic legislating. Both sides were wrong. For a start, there are revolutionary pension bills in [...]
Smaller firms unhappy with energy sector May 22, 2014 THREE quarters of small businesses do not think there is enough competition in the energy market, while two thirds think it is difficult to switch supplier, according to a study by the Federation of Small Businesses published yesterday. The industry body surveyed over 1,400 of its members to get their view of the energy market, [...]
London Report: FTSE ends flat as Royal Mail warns of rivals May 22, 2014 THE FTSE 100 fell slightly yesterday on the back of a mixed picture of the latest Purchasing Managers Index surveys – with China and the US reporting good results while France’s were poor. The market closed down 0.48 points at 6820.56, a drop of 0.01 per cent. The biggest climber of the day was global [...]
Why the World Cup is so bad for stock markets May 22, 2014 With the 2014 Fifa World Cup due to kick off three weeks today nerves are already starting to jangle among the City soccerati – but perhaps not for the reasons many would expect. It’s likely that all but one of the 32 teams will experience heartache in the coming weeks, but for stock markets, which [...]
What today’s Court of Appeal ruling means for FCA prosecutions May 21, 2014 Today’s ruling in the UK’s Court of Appeal has overturned the decision of a lower court to effectively halt a fraud prosecution pursued by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). The regulator has applauded the ruling, stating that it “is committed to pursuing criminal action in appropriate cases” and is “pleased that this case can now [...]
What today’s Court of Appeal ruling means for FCA prosecutions May 21, 2014 Today's ruling in the UK's Court of Appeal has overturned the decision of a lower court to effectively halt a fraud prosecution pursued by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). The regulator has applauded the ruling, stating that it "is committed to pursuing criminal action in appropriate cases" and is "pleased that this case can now [...]
Eurotunnel’s ferries are set to be banned from crossing the Channel May 20, 2014 EUROTUNNEL’S ferry service is heading for the rocks after the British competition watchdog said the firm controls too much of the cross-Channel travel market. The Competition and Markets Authority said it intends to uphold an earlier ruling that will force Eurotunnel to halt its MyFerryLink services within six months. Eurotunnel said the market has undergone [...]
What the other papers say this morning – 20 May 2014 May 19, 2014 FINANCIAL TIMES EU banks face debt sale clampdown European regulators are seeking to clamp down on the sale of debt by banks to their own retail customers, amid fears savers do not realise the risks posed by such assets. The European Banking Authority is concerned about the sale of bank debt that could be bailed [...]
MPs quiz Ofgem boss on energy competition and prices May 13, 2014 Ofgem’s chief executive Dermot Nolan faced a grilling from a committee of MPs earlier today, who questioned the timing of – and motivation behind – the regulator’s decision to refer competition in the retail energy market to the Competition and Markets Authority in March. Nolan – who joked that he was “a masochist” for taking [...]