Volkswagen scandal: With BMW and others now in the firing line, should the car industry be fearing serious contagion from the VW crisis? September 24, 2015 Louise Cooper, a chartered financial analyst, columnist, broadcaster and blogger at coopercity.co.uk, says Yes Three things have struck me since this story began. First, quite how much the software cheated – emissions were up to 40 times higher when the device was turned off. VW official diesel emissions data was not that different to other [...]
Volkswagen emissions scandal: We need more power for shareholders, not less – The City View September 23, 2015 This column warned yesterday that people already suspicious of the motivations and practices of the corporate world would be buoyed by the scandal engulfing Volkswagen. A cloud of noxious fumes still lingers around the reputation of the carmaker, and is likely to do so for a long time yet. So it is with [...]
Jeremy Corbyn’s big state policies would be disastrous for long-term economic UK growth September 23, 2015 Over the coming months, the new leader of the opposition and his shadow chancellor are likely to set out a very different economic worldview, with policies built on the premise that big is beautiful in the case of the size of the state. For many, this isn’t a great concern, with received wisdom that [...]
Volkswagen car emissions scandal: VW’s crisis shows the cost of having unclear values September 23, 2015 The scandal surrounding Volkswagen’s rigged emissions tests, which may affect 11m vehicles, has rightly caused outrage. The carmaker is in crisis, its chief executive has resigned, consumers are shocked, and Volkswagen’s share price has dropped by nearly a third. The company announced that it is setting aside almost £5bn to cover the costs, although [...]
As chief executive Martin Winterkorn resigns, will Volkswagen survive the emissions tests catastrophe? September 23, 2015 Bill Blain, strategist at Mint Partners. style ‘Donut’, says Yes Speculation that Volkswagen is doomed is way-wide of the mark. Suffer? Yes. Dead? By no means. Markets overreact – at some point its deeply discounted share price and suddenly toxic bond issues will be a screaming buy. The question is when – and it’s not [...]
Why London needs a rebrand for its 21st century life as a megacity September 23, 2015 With London’s population set to top 8.6 million this year, overtaking the previous record set in 1939, there’s been heightened debate on the big challenges for housing, education and transport in the capital. But relatively little discussion has focused on the crucial matter of how we help Londoners to connect with and develop a [...]
Volkswagen emissions scandal and recall will rock public trust in business – The City View September 22, 2015 For much of the past few years the debate around trust in business has focussed on financial services. The case for the prosecution is well known and the roll-call of shame (Libor rigging, forex scandals, PPI mis-selling) should never fail to serve as a reminder of the damage caused when individuals and institutions consider [...]
Jeremy Corbyn’s Flat Earth economics: Why rational people struggle to respond September 22, 2015 Imagine you are relaxing at a bar enjoying a drink after a hard day’s work. The person next to you strikes up a conversation. Initially he seems reasonable. But soon he begins to go on at length about how the Earth is flat and how a misguided cabal of scientists hides this truth from [...]
As its economic growth continues to falter, is George Osborne right to prioritise close relations with China? September 22, 2015 James Sproule, chief economist at the Institute of Directors, says Yes No country can maintain breakneck economic growth forever, and China faces some significant challenges. The biggest will be moving towards a system where market signals replace government initiatives. Britain is right to want to play a leading role in this transition. China’s GDP stands [...]
Skills shortages are a perfect storm for London construction September 22, 2015 No matter where you are commuting from this morning and where your final destination is, it will be impossible not to notice the construction boom taking place in the capital. All around us, new housing is taking shape to accommodate the largest population that London has ever known. Whether colossal structures piercing the low-lying [...]