Manifestos are pure symbolism: It’s the post-election horse trading that matters April 19, 2015 The saying that there are two things you should never see being made in public – policy and sausages – is somewhat apt at the moment. As the parties publish their manifestos, we really are approaching the finish line in the race to the door of No 10. But do these collections of documents actually [...]
Why robust regulation of retail trading is a competitive advantage April 19, 2015 Since the financial crisis, regulation has been debated extensively; as financial markets have become more accessible to retail consumers, protecting them has never been more important. The decision by the Swiss National Bank to remove the cap on euro-Swiss franc in January 2015 caused turmoil in currency markets, and given the impact this had on [...]
With the election a dead heat, is a minority government now the most likely outcome? April 19, 2015 Charles Lewington, managing director of Hanover Communications, says Yes. The polls currently show the most likely outcome of the election is a deal between Labour and the SNP, both of which have ruled out a coalition with the other. The only party which could possibly provide enough seats to get one of the major parties [...]
A sharing economy must be a trusting economy April 18, 2015 Trust is the foundation stone of all transactions. We traditionally rely on meeting people and building trust over time, but in an on-demand world, we don’t have the luxury of being able to wait. We’re moving from a world where people tend to know each other and interact with a few individuals, to a world where we are constantly interacting [...]
A sharing economy must be a trusting economy April 18, 2015 Husayn Kassai is CEO and Co-Founder of Onfido. Trust is the foundation stone of all transactions. We traditionally rely on meeting people and building trust over time, but in an on-demand world, we don’t have the luxury of being able to wait. We’re moving from a world where people tend to know each other and interact with a [...]
Britain’s anti-immigration arms race could make the housing crisis worse April 16, 2015 With the polls still tight, the battle between the two main political parties over who has the strongest policy on controlling immigration is reaching its peak. Yet the contest to be crowned toughest on immigration threatens to jeopardise efforts to address one of the other big issues of the election campaign – the chronic shortage [...]
Don’t get suckered by the anti-Europeans: The EU is already being reformed April 16, 2015 As the election nears, policy promises are coming thick and fast: “the NHS, schools, the economy and jobs will be safe in our hands and ruined in theirs” – or words to that effect. Likewise, when it comes to Europe, the differences between parties appear stark. But they all make one point in different ways: [...]
China is not in trouble: Its economic potential is only just being realised April 16, 2015 The question of whether China will experience a hard or soft slowdown from the towering growth figures it has become accustomed to crashed back into the news this week. The latest official figures showed that GDP grew at its slowest pace for six years in the first quarter of 2015, at an annualised rate of [...]
As Greece comes close to defaulting on its debt, is a Grexit now more likely than not? April 16, 2015 George Efstathopoulos, co-portfolio manager at Fidelity Solutions, says Yes As liquidity constraints in Greece become more real, a Grexit is growing more likely by the day. While a possible Greek default on its payments to the IMF (recently suggested by Greek officials) may not directly result in Grexit, such an event could be perceived as [...]
Japan Inc remains a man’s world – but that might finally be changing April 15, 2015 Learners of Japanese soon run into the phrase “shou ga nai”. Roughly translated as “it can’t be helped”, it neatly sums up a fatalistic philosophy in tune with a nation beset by earthquakes, tsunami, volcanoes and typhoons. Until recently, Japan’s record on gender equality also fell into the “shou ga nai” category. Even with a [...]