Big Tobacco’s takeover of Vectura shows the holes on our Companies Act September 17, 2021 There’s little dispute that companies ought to aim to return money to shareholders. Dividends sustain our pension pots and are vital to keep our economy growing. But when this pursuit becomes single minded it fails even by its own logic. PMI’s takeover of Vectura will generate the greatest shareholder value in the short term, but [...]
The pact between Australia, UK and the US is a historic face-off with China and proof of Global Britain September 17, 2021 In a joint speech by Boris Johnson, Scott Morrison and Joe Biden, the United Kingdom, Australia and the United States announced a historical pact dubbed AUKUS. It will allow the Royal Australian Navy to construct and operate nuclear-powered attack submarines. But AUKUS is about more than just what powers Australia’s submarines. The agreement also covers [...]
KPMG: Britain’s tax system is having an identity crisis September 17, 2021 Every so often a debate about UK tax policy cuts through into the media and public imagination, as we’ve seen in this last couple of weeks. The Health and Social Care levy has thrown a light on some big questions about how, and from whom, we raise money to fund the country’s public spending needs. [...]
Technology could save our ailing healthcare systems – if only we can trust it September 16, 2021 The number of digital tools that promise to deliver better outcomes in healthcare are proliferating at a breathtaking pace. While healthtech promises to solve a lot of our woes, the speed of evolution is vastly outpacing the rules to ensure promises on efficacy – and safety – are kept. Online symptom checkers are widely used. [...]
From Scotland, with love: indulgent drink driving laws get us nowhere September 16, 2021 In December 2014, Scotland introduced a new policy modifying its drink-drive limit, to reduce the number of alcohol-fuelled traffic accidents. The legal limit was slashed from 80 to 50mg per 100ml of blood. Now, seven years later, a study published in the Journal of Health Economics has looked at the impact of the policy. The [...]
Editorial: Sir Lindsay Hoyle leads by example and stands up to China September 16, 2021 The Chinese embassy has accused UK parliamentarians of undermining Beijing’s attempts to improve Sino-British relations. No, that is not satire. The same regime which slapped sanctions on MPs who spoke out against egregious human rights abuses of Uyghur Muslims has claimed it is in fact Westminster standing in the way of a cohesive and collaborative [...]
Analysis: How did inflation rise at its fastest pace on record? September 15, 2021 Inflation in the UK is soaring at its fastest pace since records began. On an annual basis, prices jumped 3.2 per cent last month, up from two per cent in July, the highest monthly percentage point increase recorded, primarily driven by sharp rises in the cost of eating out compared to the same period in [...]
Hikes to national insurance funds a level of public services we can’t afford September 15, 2021 The government’s plan to increase National Insurance has sparked the predictable furore. The pressures to raise taxes to pay for the level of public services the electorate have come to expect is hardly new. The welfare state was created immediately after the Second World War. For a time, the financial demands were held in check. [...]
Facebook’s no fact-checking for VIPs policy will fuel conspiracy theories – the tech titan needs to come clean September 15, 2021 Fact-checking has been a key part of Facebook’s fight against misinformation – I should know, I used to be one of their fact-checkers. What’s more: it works. And yet, this week in one fell swoop, Facebook has managed to both fuel the fire of conspiracy theories and seriously undermine its own fact-checking programme. Emails from [...]
Stop blaming private equity, without it small businesses would be strapped for cash September 15, 2021 Private equity has been branded the bad guy for snapping up pandemic-hit business. After household names such as Asda were bought up, there was an immediate flood of warnings about price hikes. But private equity’s role as a pantomime villain is worn out. Big leveraged buyouts are attention grabbing, but private equity plays a vital, [...]