Retail sales figures reveal the depth of Britain’s economic uncertainty February 19, 2018 A debate which appeared all but settled at the tail end of 2017 is steadily reopening. The question of whether Britain’s economy will expand more this year than it did last year is looking increasingly finely balanced. Just a few months ago, the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) cut its annual economic growth forecasts for [...]
Doctor’s orders: how tech can help the NHS June 21, 2018 THE PRIME Minister’s recent pledge to increase the National Health Service budget by £20bn a year may have been an attempt to win over voters and distract the public from cabinet rows, Tory rebels, and near constant complaints about her handling of Brexit. Instead, the announcement drew fresh criticism about how the proposed funding increase, [...]
Pious attacks on the finance sector are socially destructive February 28, 2018 Attacks on the financial sector are commonplace. The Pope, the Archbishop of Canterbury, and Jeremy Corbyn have all been critical of modern finance while demanding a financial sector that serves the “real economy”. Of course, religion and finance have always been uncomfortable bedfellows, and the extreme left now has a clear preference for a centrally [...]
Improved fiscal outlook for the chancellor as he prepares the Spring Budget February 20, 2017 The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) is expected to provide some “fiscal cheer” for the chancellor, with a forecast showing greater growth for the economy and lower borrowing costs. According to the Ernst & Young ITEM Club, forecasted GDP figures for 2017 are expected to be revised upwards, from 1.4 per cent to 1.6 or 1.7 [...]
The missing link: Four ways blockchain will change the face of retail banking March 22, 2018 It's no secret that the retail banking system is in dire need of an upgrade. There is a strong case to be made for a decentralised banking system based on blockchain. With high barriers to entry (particularly in the financially vulnerable and unbanked section of the market), and the security concerns around centralised stores of [...]
Let’s scrap stamp duty and stop exacerbating the housing crisis October 30, 2017 Often when we talk about taxes, we just weigh out how much they raise and who pays, and assume any change is about handing out cash to a favoured group. But this is misguided. Some taxes distort the economy far more than others for every pound they raise for the Treasury. By this measure, stamp [...]
Whisper it, but Britain may be about to get a housing policy fit for the crisis we actually face February 3, 2017 A quiet, but very optimistic, cheer for the communities secretary Sajid Javid. Many politicians use the UK’s cost of living crisis as a talking point, but Javid’s blueprint for a new housing policy – set to be fully published next week – looks like it was designed to actually start tackling it in a meaningful [...]
Life-changing investments: The science that could save the NHS January 11, 2018 No one can deny (apart from a handful of politicians) that the NHS is in a bad way at the moment. The crisis reached a head last week when hospitals were forced to cancel tens of thousands of operations in order to free-up resources for emergency care. This – unsurprisingly – sparked a national outcry. [...]
A brave new banking world: How computer science shaped this company November 8, 2017 When I spot Anne Boden across the coffee shop, she beams at me. Even before she’s said a word, I immediately warm to her – here’s a woman who has spent 30 years working for the big banks, and yet she seems far removed from the stereotypical personalities you associate with the cutthroat finance [...]
Banks must green up their act, for the sake of both planet and profit November 3, 2017 If you watch a TV ad for a UK high street bank these days, they are full of soft focus, half-speed footage of smiling, tanned pensioners vigorously enjoying their retirement, or shots of attractive young families surrounded by nature – all portraying vague notions of stability and future prosperity. But a new report from the [...]