We can renew London once again post-Brexit – if we channel the can-do spirit of our ancestors in facing up to our housing and infrastructure challenges October 31, 2016 London has always risen again. This is the 350th anniversary of its greatest resurrection. Our ancestors in 1666 reacted to the Great Fire with a speed and coordination that defies belief. They tax-incentivised developers, ran the first national charitable appeal, invented modern fire insurance, and worked day and night for free. Compared with the Great Fire, [...]
The subscription economy: An end to ownership? October 31, 2016 The subscription economy always used to be about magazines – but not anymore. It now varies from long-term car rentals, to websites that allow consumers to have flowers, steak, and even socks delivered regularly to their doorstep. Today consumers are more likely to subscribe to services than ever before, thanks to the likes of Spotify [...]
The Philippines’ pivot to China is just the start: America is sleepwalking into disaster in tinder box Asia October 31, 2016 Give him his due. At the very least, Filipino President Rodrigo Duterte is never dull. Beyond calling Barack Obama names that would naturally lead in another setting to a brawl behind the schoolyard, the canny if vulgar Duterte is surprisingly effective at doing what smaller powers are supposed to do in a multipolar setting: playing [...]
Reflections on my year as lord mayor – and why London will remain the world’s greatest city October 31, 2016 As I enter my final fortnight as lord mayor, I have spent some time reflecting on my year in office. I have been privileged to witness and support many areas of commercial progress during my international visits, domestic travels, and here in Canada. I am also greatly looking forward to a number [...]
Brexit is a chance to reboot Britain’s stagnant productivity performance – as long as we also return monetary policy to normal October 31, 2016 Productivity is the key driver of economic prosperity. From 1945 to 1980 Britain performed poorly on productivity growth, particularly in the 1970s when the UK joined the European Community. The 1980s saw a sharp improvement in UK productivity growth, sustained for much of the 1990s and early 2000s. Alas, the UK’s productivity performance has since [...]
Would likely election winner Hillary Clinton be better for the US economy than her predecessor Barack Obama? October 31, 2016 Molly Kiniry, a consultant at the Legatum Institute, says Yes. On their first day in office, US Presidents are handed the nuclear launch codes, but not a magic wand for the economy. Their commercial role is largely about projecting confidence and building trust. The US economy is inextricably linked to global markets, which are unwilling to [...]
MP Steve Baker: We need a pragmatic approach to leaving the European Union October 31, 2016 The UK will leave the EU. We will be an independent country, passing our own laws and governing ourselves. We will be a Global Britain, always the most passionate, most consistent, most convincing advocate for free trade, promoting peace and prosperity around the world. We will seek a unique, reciprocal UK-EU arrangement of open trade in [...]
Brexit scare stories are haunting the City October 30, 2016 The cobwebs falling from the windows of pubs and shops in the City are much more likely to be Halloween decorations than an indication that businesses have abandoned the Square Mile in the wake of Brexit. Nevertheless, post-referendum scare stories hang thick in the air. Project Fear takes on a new meaning at this time [...]
Giving Uber drivers “worker” status is bad news for passengers, the gig economy and the drivers themselves October 28, 2016 Friday's decision to grant two Uber drivers worker status is bad news not just for Uber, but for its drivers, its customers, and the future of the “gig economy” as a whole. It is primarily bad for Uber drivers. We know for a fact that, by vast margins (five to one), they don’t want to [...]
Editor’s notes: Brexit has damaged economists, not the economy October 28, 2016 A couple of years ago I interviewed Saatchi & Saatchi’s global CEO, Robert Senior. As we discussed possible future advertising trends he said “my problem with futurologists is that they’re never held to account”. He meant that predictions of what life will be like in 100 years are very hard to hold up in front [...]