It’s time for law firms to go public – and end the archaic partnership model June 4, 2015 On Monday, Gateley will become the first UK law firm to list as a public company. It should serve as a wake-up call for the entire industry and more firms should follow suit. For some lawyers, moving away from the partnership model will be terrifying – but it’s an essential evolution, not just for the success [...]
The City has no room for complacency about its global competitiveness June 4, 2015 Nearly 30 years of working in the City has taught me that successful times are the most dangerous times. Warren Buffett, in one of his recent newsletters, described the warning signs that see good times turn to bad as the ABC of business: arrogance, bureaucracy and complacency. Today, there is no room for complacency. The [...]
As the Greek saga continues, can only fiscal integration secure the Eurozone’s future? June 4, 2015 Lydia Prieg, a PhD student at the University of Cambridge, says Yes Greater fiscal union is the only sustainable solution for the Eurozone. Without coordinated redistribution, some countries are enjoying artificially low exchange and interest rates. This boosts exports and growth. Other countries have inappropriately high exchange and interest rates, which hinder exports and growth. [...]
David Cameron’s EU renegotiation must free Britain from ever closer union June 3, 2015 As the Prime Minister jets from one European capital to another, seeking support for Britain’s EU reform agenda, the issues on the table are many and varied, ranging from the benefit entitlements of immigrants to the protection of Canada. But amid all the detail, there is one overriding issue on which the [...]
Three lessons for business from the downfall of Fifa president Sepp Blatter June 3, 2015 There are three things people in business should take away from the downfall of Fifa president Sepp Blatter. First, and most obviously, we crave leaders with integrity – those who are able to do the right things for the organisations they serve, and who have the social awareness to see when their own position becomes [...]
Is the government plan to make failing schools academies the best way to drive up standards? June 3, 2015 Nick Gibb MP, schools minister, says Yes We are helping teachers reverse England’s educational decline by reforming qualifications, improving academic standards and opening new schools. But key to raising standards is ensuring that no children languish in failing schools. Thanks to the academies programme, we have already intervened in more than 1,000 schools. But our [...]
Corruption hits economic growth – and markets can do nothing to stop it June 2, 2015 Sepp Blatter’s resignation as president of Fifa comes after a week of scandal for the global football body. Among soccer fans, sadly, the organisation has become a byword for sleaze. England spent £21m on the campaign to secure the 2018 World Cup. The height of our attempts to influence the delegates seems to have been [...]
Only greater personal accountability at all levels will rebuild trust in banking June 1, 2015 Like other football supporters up and down the land, I was really pleased that Prince William, in his role as president of the FA, spoke out at the weekend about Fifa. The issues he raised – particularly around personal accountability – are central not only to those who lead our great sporting institutions, but they [...]
Why businesses don’t need “corporate social responsibility” to be ethical June 1, 2015 Would anybody ever be brave enough to oppose “corporate social responsibility”? Certainly, it is a good marketing strapline. And CSR proponents have been very successful at putting up and knocking down straw men in which they claim their opponents believe. For example, it is argued that those who do not believe that companies should have [...]