Austerity is working – but we must continue to challenge its diehard critics | City A.M. May 15, 2014 THE “BACKFIRE effect” is a term coined by the US political scientist Brendan Nyhan to describe how a person’s deeply-held convictions may actually get stronger when presented with contradictory evidence. In one recent study, Nyhan and his colleagues presented a group with information confirming the safety of vaccines. Faced with the facts, those who already [...]
Austerity is working – but we must continue to challenge its diehard critics May 15, 2014 THE “BACKFIRE effect” is a term coined by the US political scientist Brendan Nyhan to describe how a person’s deeply-held convictions may actually get stronger when presented with contradictory evidence. In one recent study, Nyhan and his colleagues presented a group with information confirming the safety of vaccines. Faced with the facts, those who already [...]
UK construction sector sees eighth month of growth January 3, 2014 There's more good news for the UK construction sector, as it continues its onward march, expanding for the eighth month in a row in December. The Markit/CIPS puchasing managers' index for UK construction PMI came in at 62.1 (62.6 November), above expectations of 62.0 and buoyed by a further big rise in housebuilding. Tim Moore, [...]
UK construction sector sees eighth month of growth January 3, 2014 There's more good news for the UK construction sector, as it continues its onward march, expanding for the eighth month in a row in December. The Markit/CIPS puchasing managers' index for UK construction PMI came in at 62.1 (62.6 November), above expectations of 62.0 and buoyed by a further big rise in housebuilding. Tim Moore, [...]
The man with a plan for your retirement May 5, 2014 The former Barclays banker turned insurance group chief executive thinks he’s found a new direction for LV= WHEN Mike Rogers first heard about chancellor George Osborne’s plans to scrap compulsory annuities, the LV= chief executive was on a train back to London. “I’d been to Bristol for lunch with some of the top performers from [...]
City Matters: The UK has fallen behind in the global export race: Here’s how we catch up March 24, 2014 AS A SMALL island nation, the United Kingdom has a long history of punching above its weight when it comes to trade and commerce across the world. Exports have been a major driver of our economy since before the time of the Romans – even though commodities such as pottery have been replaced by professional [...]
Lambert: This is banks’ last chance to behave well February 10, 2014 BANKS must treat customers well or face more regulation, Sir Richard Lambert said yesterday as he unveiled his plans for a new body to raise standards in the industry. He wants banks to publish a wide range of information every year, including customer satisfaction, staff training plans and pay structures. Sir Richard hopes this will [...]
What you need to know before the open March 6, 2014 Europe’s set for a higher open this morning as investors await today’s European Central Bank (ECB) rate meeting. Another weather-related miss for US services, and disappointing ADP payroll numbers didn’t appear to dent activity too much yesterday, and concerns over Ukraine have seemingly been put on the back burner for now. Opinion is somewhat divided [...]
Big Data: Don’t ignore the dark side February 25, 2014 SOFTWARE rules the world. This isn’t just what we say out in Silicon Valley, or a belief that my sector matters most – it’s a simple statement of fact. What’s caused this to happen? In today’s world, data is everywhere and what was once thrown away is now cheaper to store. We generate more electronic [...]
What the other papers say this morning – 04 April 2014 April 3, 2014 FINANCIAL TIMES Channel 5 bidders question valuation A war of words has broken out over the valuation of Channel 5, ahead of this month’s deadline for second-round bids for the broadcaster owned by entrepreneur Richard Desmond. In January, people close to the bidding process said Mr Desmond was seeking a price of more than £700m [...]