Privatising the Land Registry sounds like a great idea – but this is why it’s not May 27, 2016 It not uncommon to read about government policy decisions and count yourself lucky that you’re not the one making them. But when it comes to the current debate over whether to privatise the Land Registry, while a good idea on the surface, rejecting this proposal should be a no-brainer. It may not be a conundrum on [...]
Near record net migration isn’t an argument for leaving the EU – it’s something to celebrate May 27, 2016 Freedom is usually a positive concept. Freedoms are celebrated and defended. Through history, people have fought and died for their freedoms, be it freedom of speech, of association, of assembly, of thought. How to explain, then, the noxious negativity that is permeating debate on freedom of movement in the context of the EU referendum? The [...]
With HS2 dubbed over-priced by experts, does Britain have a problem with big infrastructure projects? May 27, 2016 Dr Robin Hickman, reader in transport planning and the city at the Bartlett School of Planning, University College London, says Yes. Large-scale infrastructure projects involve substantial economic, environmental and social impact – affecting present and future generations. Projects can cost billions and affect people and the environment in many different ways. We have a problem in [...]
M&S needed a roar from Rowe, but all it got was a whisper May 26, 2016 It was Steve Rowe's opportunity to deliver something big. Analysts had forecast it, and, most importantly of all, M&S' customers were expecting it. But the man from Croydon adopted the softly-softly approach that you might expect of a lifer rather than the more radical path that newcomers tend to take. There was no Dave Lewis-style [...]
Should we blame empty foreign-owned apartments for London’s housing crisis? The data says no May 26, 2016 London's housing crisis is worsened, maybe even caused, by wealthy foreigners buying up properties and leaving them empty. Right? It’s an attractive argument, identifying a specific and unpopular culprit (the global rich) while spreading the notion that they are to blame for most of today’s social and economic problems. Unfortunately, in this case, the figures [...]
The European Union is facing a perfect storm this summer May 26, 2016 As Europeans look ahead to summer holidays, the union faces a series of severe tests. By now, drama in Greece and mid-year market gyrations may seem routine, but the number and timing of this year’s challenges set 2016 apart from summers past. With the UK’s referendum on EU membership set for 23 June, Spain’s rerun general [...]
We’ve not even scratched the surface of fintech’s true potential – and banks will struggle to keep up May 26, 2016 Fintech innovation has seen rapid growth over the past few years and is producing businesses with scalable products. In turn, senior executives at banks are responding to the challenge these businesses present and have begun to set up their own incubators to capture this rapid innovation. Driving much of this has been the rise of [...]
G7 leaders must recognise that monetary policy alone won’t solve the world’s ills May 26, 2016 Hosting a successful family get-together is a stressful business. Just ask Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. With the leaders of the world’s major economies arriving in Ise-Shima for a G7 summit, Abe has promised “candid” and “fruitful” discussions to tackle the challenges to global growth. But against the backdrop of sluggish activity, doubts about the [...]
The Trump effect: Why it pays to remain sanguine about the rise of the Republican renegade May 26, 2016 With his infamous “Great Wall” plans and talk of repealing “horrible” free trade deals – neither of which would be good for global business – Donald Trump is in step with the rising trend towards protectionism and populism seen in Europe. If the presumptive Republican nominee wins the Oval Office in November, City investors may [...]
As the EU says 20 per cent of Netflix content should be made in the European Union, is this a good reason to back Brexit? May 26, 2016 Len Shackleton, professor of economics at the University of Buckingham and fellow at the Institute of Economic Affairs, says Yes. A quota for tedious German family sagas or subsidised reworkings of Napoleon’s triumphs, compulsorily advertised on the Netflix homepage, may not itself drive voters to Brexit. But attempting to regulate video-on-demand is symptomatic of the Commission’s ever-expanding [...]