Cost of living crisis myths: How Miliband could deliver a real pro-poor agenda September 22, 2014 Labour’s party conference will see Ed Miliband try to shift public focus away from the Scottish referendum fallout and back towards the choice at next year’s general election. In particular, he’ll seek to refocus our minds on the “cost of living crisis” narrative that he’s been composing since 2011. Policy announcements over the weekend suggest, [...]
Tesco can still win back shoppers by slashing prices: Investors may now be harder to convince September 22, 2014 EVEN before the announcement of accounting irregularities yesterday, Tesco was a company beset by problems. Once the darling of the British retail scene and the undisputed leader of the grocery pack, Tesco has faced years of falling sales and profits, combined with some high profile failures, like the disposal of its costly Fresh & Easy [...]
Is Tony Blair right that we shouldn’t rule out deploying ground troops against Islamic State? September 22, 2014 Robin Simcox, a research fellow at the Henry Jackson Society, says Yes. Since the US and the UK have only recently withdrawn combat troops from Iraq, redeployment is politically challenging. However, Tony Blair is right to say that it may be necessary. US President Barack Obama says he intends to “destroy” IS. But his strategy [...]
In defence of easyProperty: Sir Stelios bites back September 21, 2014 Jon Moulton’s unprovoked attack in his column directed against me personally is nothing more than a cheap shot. Worse still, he has clearly not done his homework on easyProperty.com – the latest brand extension from easyGroup, my personal investment company. First, I believe he failed to declare an interest in the matter, as I [...]
Truly radical devolution of powers could banish big government in the UK forever September 21, 2014 If necessity is the mother of invention, politicians of all stripes will have to be spectacularly inventive in dealing with the fallout from the Scottish referendum result. And we may yet stumble upon a new constitutional settlement that will go some way to encouraging both innovation and constraint in the bloated public sector both north [...]
Polling Scotland’s referendum results: Why it all eventually came down to turnout September 21, 2014 We are very pleased that our final Scottish referendum poll, along with one by Survation, was the most accurate of the final prediction polls: with a projected 47 per cent Yes vote, against a final outcome of 45 per cent, we were only two percentage points away, well within the accepted margin of error. But [...]
After the referendum results the Scots will continue to thrive – with the UK’s stability behind them – City Matters September 21, 2014 As the second Scottish lord mayor of London in as many years, the referendum debate has had particular poignancy for me. I understand the desire by some in Scotland to “go their own way” as an independent country, but I am glad that the majority of Scots have chosen to remain in the United Kingdom. [...]
Could the clear vote against independence in Scotland help deliver a UK growth dividend? September 21, 2014 Bill O’Neill is head of the UK investment office at UBS Wealth Management, says Yes. Although we have a clear result in Scotland, market uncertainty has not been eliminated. As Scotland embarks on its devo-max journey, one risk has been removed, but we are still in a nebulous situation. Nevertheless, returning to business as usual [...]
Polling Scotland’s referendum: Why it all came down to turnout September 19, 2014 WE ARE very pleased that our final Scottish referendum poll, along with one by Survation, was the most accurate of the final prediction polls: with a projected 47 per cent Yes vote, against a final outcome of 45 per cent, we were only two percentage points away, well within the accepted margin of error. But [...]
After the Scottish referendum results it’s what happens next which could buffet David Cameron September 19, 2014 In the end it came down to heart, not head. Scotland voted against independence in the way a tired child, having shouted and resisted in its parents' arms, eventually curls in for a cuddle after the storm passes. The union, like a great umbilical cord running the backbone of the United Kingdom, may bend and [...]