Corporatism, rigged markets and a new ideological showdown October 21, 2013 FORGET the old politics of left versus right. Britain faces a choice between three philosophies – capitalism, corporatism and social democracy – with adherents scattered across all political parties, as the nuclear energy fiasco has demonstrated yet again. Capitalism involves a genuinely private sector that competes for customers: if companies make a profit, they expand, [...]
What the other papers say this morning – 14 October 2013 October 13, 2013 FINANCIAL TIMES Tory plan to raise allowance to £12,500 Senior Conservative politicians are drawing up plans to raise the personal tax allowance to £12,500 as a key election pledge in 2015. Top party officials believe the move will enable the Tories to claim they are tackling the cost of living crisis by taking low earners [...]
Going West: London welcomes a new FX brokerage October 13, 2013 Annabel Palmer meets the founders of Monex Capital, who are targeting tech savvy traders DESPITE the Asian Development Bank lowering its growth forecasts for emerging nations in the region earlier this month, European brokers are launching Asian-based subsidiaries in droves (forex and commodities brokerage MIG Bank, for example, opened a Hong Kong arm this year). [...]
Red Cross report slams European austerity October 10, 2013 In a report obtained by the Guardian, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies has condemned European governments response to the debt crisis which began four years ago. The 68 page report says: Whilst other continents successfully reduce poverty, Europe adds to it. As the economic crisis has planted its roots, millions [...]
US debt ceiling division may be the harbinger of greater crises to come October 10, 2013 AS THE government shutdown has metastasised into a crisis about the US debt ceiling, a dark narrative has been playing endlessly inside my head. For the social and political divisions that have been revealed over these past few weeks may well be harbingers of greater crises ahead. To understand why, we need only look back [...]
US debt ceiling division may be the harbinger of greater crises to come October 9, 2013 AS THE government shutdown has metastasised into a crisis about the US debt ceiling, a dark narrative has been playing endlessly inside my head. For the social and political divisions that have been revealed over these past few weeks may well be harbingers of greater crises ahead. To understand why, we need only look back [...]
Business groups urge PM to make good on tax cuts October 2, 2013 DAVID Cameron must make good on his defence of the free market by cutting taxes and boosting investment in the economy, business groups warned yesterday. The Prime Minister used the final day of the Conservative party conference in Manchester to deliver a rhetroic-heavy speech in defence of free markets, attempting to define the next election [...]
Ed Miliband to ban energy price rises for two years September 24, 2013 Ed Miliband today said he would make it illegal for energy companies to increase the price they charge for gas or electricity during the first 20 months of a Labour government. All UK homes and businesses would benefit from the move, which Labour believes would cost major energy companies £4.5bn. Miliband will also commit to [...]
We must help poor kids – not subsidise middle class parents September 23, 2013 SOMETIMES I despair at this government’s inconsistencies, internal contradictions and intellectual incoherence. It keeps telling us that it wants to save money to reduce the deficit, and then splashes out £600m on a new entitlement in the form of free school meals for all under-8s. Poor children are already eligible for free school meals, which [...]
Letters to the Editor – 23/09 – Future of gaming, Care robots, Best of Twitter September 22, 2013 Future of gaming [Re: Computer games have grown up – and they’re an economic powerhouse, Friday] This is an excellent article. While George Osborne goes on about the march of the makers, the gaming industry shows exactly what Britain can do if creativity is allowed to combine with technical and scientific know-how. I even think [...]