Whatever Brexit deal Theresa May can do is the answer to reduce the pain of divorce November 13, 2018 As the Brexit deadline approaches and negotiations continue amid ever-more intense scrutiny, the actual detail of Theresa May’s talks with the EU becomes less and less important. Leaving the EU has been compared to a divorce. While I am fortunate enough never to have gone through one myself, I have witnessed plenty and it is [...]
Business has spoken: The UK cannot afford a no-deal Brexit November 13, 2018 We thoughts that we were heading towards the final furlong – at long last, a Brexit deal – after an interminable period which has seen runners and riders fall and many a twist and turn along the way since the public voted to leave the EU in June 2016. Then the minister Jo Johnson resigned, [...]
Trust me, we’ve been thinking about market power and competition all wrong November 13, 2018 Economists, politicians, and commentators on both sides of the Atlantic are growing more concerned with the supposed “monopolisation” of the economy. In a 2017 report, the Social Market Foundation found that eight of 10 key British markets, including in phones, gas and groceries, were highly dominated by small numbers of companies. Its director, James Kirkup, [...]
The US midterms: Good for Democrats, but better for markets November 13, 2018 American politics is in a febrile state. Deep partisan divisions, heightened by Donald Trump’s controversial rhetoric and policies, have resulted in a historic year for midterm voter turn-out. Last Tuesday, voters on the left and right were spurred on by a conviction that the 2018 midterms were more important than any other in history. Politically, [...]
DEBATE: Can we expect the Chinese celebration of Singles’ Day to make it over to Britain? November 13, 2018 Can we expect the Chinese celebration of Singles’ Day to make it over to Britain? Abbie Llewelyn, a writer and commentator, says YES. If you think that Valentine’s Day is a commercialised hallmark holiday, just wait until UK companies catch onto Singles’ Day. Originating at Chinese universities in the 90s, Alibaba made it what it [...]
Is central bank independence even a thing? November 13, 2018 Parents often find it tough to let go of the control they have on their children’s lives, no matter how old they are. While children usually tend to wriggle out of these constraints, the constant jostling between two often opposing opinions is a worldwide phenomenon. And such is the relationship between the government and the [...]
Opinion: How can technology make moving house easier? We count the ways November 12, 2018 Moving home is considered to be one of the most stressful life experiences and as a result people rarely bother. The average person only moves once every 17.8 years according to the latest English Housing Survey. But does it need to be this way? Over the next decade, technology will transform the way we buy, [...]
Sam Torrance: Tasty vintage Lee Westwood is playing as well as ever November 12, 2018 Lee Westwood swung as well as I have seen him swing for a long, long time on his way to a magnificent victory in the Nedbank Golf Challenge at Sun City in South Africa on Sunday. The Englishman, 45, hadn’t won for four years but looked oustanding all week and some of the golf produced [...]
With influencer marketing, brands needs to realise that honesty is the best policy November 12, 2018 Influencer marketing – that is, YouTube stars and Instagram heavyweights promoting products to their legions of followers – has been firmly adopted by a wealth of brands. It is a useful tool to help shape the perception of their brand, enhance their digital presence, and drive business outcomes. But the media has recently honed in [...]
How London’s high streets can weather the brewing retail storm November 12, 2018 London rightly bears the distinction of being one of the world’s most attractive places to live and work. But with that label comes risks as well as opportunities – and often, trends that we see across the country play out far more dramatically when it comes to our capital. Take our latest research into the [...]