Centre for Policy Studies blasts Labour’s nationalisation vow as a “£176bn gamble” January 21, 2018 Labour’s plans to nationalise core industries would add at least £176bn to the UK’s national debt, the equivalent of £6,500 per household, a new study suggests. According to the free-market Centre for Policy Studies (CPS), nationalising the energy and water sectors would cost £55.4bn and £86.25bn respectively, while the price tag attached to bringing Royal [...]
A short history of investing in gold – and what to expect for 2017 December 8, 2017 Gold is coveted by investors for its rarity. As a precious metal with limited supply, it is seen as a store of value when the real value of other assets, and currencies, can be manipulated. But fundamentally, its high worth is underpinned by its usefulness and attractiveness. Not only is it highly malleable but [...]
Editor’s Notes: Conspiracy theorists will always join the dots they want to see, bitcoin’s energy boom and the LSE row has left everyone weaker December 8, 2017 Before the fortuitous turn of events that took me into journalism, I did a lot of work with think tanks. These organisations come in all shapes and sizes – some are small, scrappy policy shops while others are quite grand, well-funded institutions. What they all tend to have in common is a staff of smart, [...]
Bitcoin mining explained: How it works, how much energy it uses and what needs to be fixed December 7, 2017 All eyes are on bitcoin at the moment. The cryptocurrency has staged a meteoric rise in 2017 that has attracted new investors, but, for many, question marks still surround bitcoin and the technology behind it. With recent reports pointing to the high energy cost associated with mining, the process used to create bitcoin, is there [...]
Bitcoin mining explained: How does it work? Why does it use so much energy? Is there any way to fix it? December 7, 2017 All eyes are on bitcoin at the moment. The cryptocurrency has staged a meteoric rise in 2017 that has attracted new investors, but, for many, question marks still surround bitcoin and the technology behind it. With recent reports pointing to the high energy cost associated with mining, the process used to create bitcoin, is there [...]
Battery storage is poised to recharge the UK’s energy sector over the next year November 17, 2017 So far, 2017 has been a year of milestones for clean forms of energy. The National Grid said this summer was the greenest ever, offshore wind became cheaper than new nuclear and the country’s first subsidy-free solar farm opened. Energy experts are also expecting to see a huge uptick in the number of electric vehicles [...]
DEBATE: With CO2 at record levels, does the UK need to prioritise clean energy? November 13, 2017 With CO2 at record levels, does the UK need to prioritise clean energy? Greg Jackson, founder of challenger energy firm Octopus Energy, says YES. It’s a stark reality that air pollution kills 40,000 people in this country every year. If the bodies lay where the problem did, your morning commute would be grisly. The scandal [...]
The trials and tribulations of tapping new tech November 7, 2017 "Neither Redbox nor Netflix are even on the radar screen in terms of competition.” Those are the words of Jim Keyes, the former chief executive of video rental giant Blockbuster back in 2008. Just five years after Keyes made that statement, Blockbuster went bust, swallowed whole by the mighty online streaming service that is Netflix. [...]
Business groups give Corbyn the thumbs down after CBI speech November 6, 2017 Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn’s overtures to the business community have fallen on deaf ears this morning, with industry groups warning his policy pledges would undermine economic growth. Speaking at the annual CBI conference, Corbyn reiterated Labour’s plans to create a National Investment Bank and a National Education Service, and talked of “investing” in transport, energy [...]
Think locally, invest globally: Why Brexit isn’t the calamity some fear November 1, 2017 A year after the Brexit vote, the UK has managed to avoid a bear market and recession. Still, global diversification remains a key tool for investors. Fifteen months after Brits voted to leave the EU, the UK government is slowly ploughing ahead with Brexit. Invoking Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty in March was the [...]