Week in Business: Why Britain needs reform Video In light of current difficulties and long-term challenges, the UK economy needs a dose of radical reform - but who will have that conversation?
Only radical thinking can break Britain out of its doom loop Opinion While the lucky few left Tuesday night’s City AM Awards with a gleaming trophy, the evening’s other takeaway came in the form of a stimulating and provocative speech by Andy Haldane. The former Bank of England Chief Economist said that two decades of economic and social shocks – from the financial crash and subsequent Euro [...]
Andy Haldane: Government’s bid to cut red tape ‘has little chance of success’ Economics The government’s call for regulators to slash red tape “has little chance of success” unless watchdogs’ mandates are changed in law, according to the Bank of England’s former Chief Economist Andy Haldane. Speaking at the City AM Awards in London’s Guildhall, Haldane criticised the government’s policy of seeking regulatory reform “via exhortation and press release” [...]
Tories take note: Reform will come at Labour from the left May 6, 2025 As the dust settles on the local elections, party leaders will be busy trying to identify the right lessons. For the Conservatives, the picture is both clear and complicated. As Kemi Badenoch put it, her party faced a “bloodbath” in councils across the country. That’s the clear bit. The complicated bit concerns what she should [...]
Week in Business: The billionaires backing Britain May 1, 2025 BlackRock CEO Larry Fink, Virgin supremo Sir Richard Branson, businessman John Caudwell and JP Morgan top dog Jamie Dimon – quite the quartet – have all made some fascinating interventions this week. Let’s start with BlackRock, the world’s largest investor, running more than $11 trillion on behalf of pension funds, private clients and sovereign wealth [...]
Investors keep faith in M&S success story May 1, 2025 There’s no doubt that M&S is in the grip of a crisis, but investors appear to have faith that the current cyber nightmare won’t undermine the dream run enjoyed by this retailer in recent years. The business still stands out as a triumphant turnaround success story, with a share price that’s been on an upward [...]
Tony Blair is right to call for ‘reset’ of ludicrous Net Zero debate April 30, 2025 If energy secretary Ed Miliband still believes that critics of his dash to Net Zero are peddlers of “nonsense and lies” he has a new name to add to his list of dangerous misinformation merchants: Tony Blair. I do appreciate that some people believe that his name belongs on exactly that kind of list, but [...]
Ed Miliband’s reckless Net Zero ideology April 29, 2025 Rumours persist that Ed Miliband, the energy secretary, could be shunted out of his role when the Prime Minister conducts his first major reshuffle since last summer’s election victory. Keir Starmer has the perfect excuse; the world has changed. He’s fond of saying that, and of course it’s true; huge changes are afoot and the global economy [...]
Employment Rights: ministers refuse to listen – and we’ll all pay the price April 29, 2025 Entrepreneurs know better than anyone just what it takes to get an idea off the ground, and to keep it alive. The common phrases associated with starting and growing a business are clichéd; the sleepless nights, the stress, the worry over payroll and the often crushing sense of responsibility – to family, employees and investors. [...]
Week in Business: Why a UK-US trade deal won’t save the British economy April 24, 2025 The Chancellor's emergency mercy mission to the US could pay off, but it won't be enough to reverse the damage she's already done to the UK economy.
