Whistleblowing: Why there are key lessons that the City can learn February 15, 2015 The news wires have been abuzz with high-profile stories centred on whistleblower allegations. Among this flurry, the report from Sir Robert Francis QC into the strength of whistleblowing procedures in the NHS last week made for particularly sobering reading. It outlined the failures of organisations to protect those who speak out. But the report does [...]
FTSE Shades of Grey: Why markets should not fear election uncertainty February 12, 2015 Many may well be planning their Valentine’s weekend around the much-anticipated Fifty Shades of Grey film, released today. But the fact we’re now 82 days away from the long-awaited General Election is more likely to get investors slightly hotter under the collar. Of course, in most cases, elections don’t matter very much at all to [...]
Criminal cartel agreements: Businesses need to know what they’re getting into February 12, 2015 You would not be alone in not knowing that there is such a thing as a criminal cartel, let alone how it is defined in UK law. But a significant change to this definition last year will mean that something few were aware of will now be increasingly on the radar of British businesses, who [...]
The rise of the expert patient has the power to transform the NHS February 12, 2015 The productivity of the NHS isn’t just important for our health. At 7 per cent of GDP, it matters for the whole economy. And this is why the next Parliament must see an efficiency revolution in the NHS, greater than any seen elsewhere or in the UK before. One important idea at the heart of [...]
Why government must stop treating medium-sized firms like corporates February 11, 2015 Speaking to business leaders earlier this week, David Cameron unveiled a British version of Germany’s Mittelstand scheme. Help to Grow will see £1bn of funding ploughed into medium-sized businesses across the country, bridging the “valley of death” funding gap that hampers our most promising scale-ups. But while there have been several high-profile and encouraging moves [...]
The free trade deals that could turbo-charge the UK economy by £10bn February 11, 2015 Few know it, but you are all paying a secret tax. Trade tariffs and other protectionist barriers are a hidden part of the price you pay for almost everything you buy. Consider this: if we could do a trade deal between America and the EU, at one stroke we could create up to 2m jobs, [...]
Boris Johnson’s mini-Manhattan in Old Oak Common: Why we must speak up for local housing needs February 11, 2015 London’s population is at an all-time high. By 2020, we will have over 9m people living in our city; 10m by 2030. So it is essential that we plan for the growing needs of the capital. London needs a transport system fit for the 21st century. We need a thriving jobs market built on secure, [...]
How UK growth firms are getting the financial leg up they need to thrive February 10, 2015 The UK is experiencing a “golden age” for smaller businesses. That was the message of Lord Young’s small business report, out yesterday, which heralded a record 5.2m small firms now operating in the UK. Britain is now officially ranked as the most entrepreneurial in Europe. In recent years, we have witnessed a rising tide of [...]
It’s high time supermarkets had a radical lesson in supply chain management February 10, 2015 Every year, the supermarkets hire substantial batches of high-flying graduates to work in their buying departments. The urban mythology is that these expensively-educated young people are paid to shout down the phone, browbeating suppliers to offer yet more discounts. This hectoring seems to be at the heart of the recent decision of the Groceries Code [...]
How regulators’ focus on culture is offering banks a chance to get ahead February 9, 2015 As the acid rain of fines and litigation costs wore away profits, last year will no doubt be remembered as the year that an ethical problem for banks became a financial one. In 2014, the fines levied by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) hit almost £1.5bn. Against this backdrop, the role of regulators will come [...]