Boris needs to be innovative to get the private sector building houses August 16, 2012 THE Mayor of London owns 530 hectares of land and is the largest public landowner in London. He is responsible, with the London Boroughs, for addressing the needs of the 350,000 Londoners on the housing waiting list, for planning for the future housing needs for the capital, and for a budget of around £3bn to [...]
Bad loans at Spanish lenders hit a record high in September November 19, 2012 BAD loans at Spain’s banks struck a new high in September, it was revealed yesterday, as a wave of negative data releases poured more misery on the troubled euro area. Figures from the Bank of Spain showed banks’ bad loans standing at 10.7 per cent of their outstanding portfolios in September – the highest level [...]
Bad loans at Spanish lenders hit a record high in September November 19, 2012 BAD loans at Spain’s banks struck a new high in September, it was revealed yesterday, as a wave of negative data releases poured more misery on the troubled euro area. Figures from the Bank of Spain showed banks’ bad loans standing at 10.7 per cent of their outstanding portfolios in September – the highest level [...]
The ladder of innovation means ever more low-hanging fruit July 31, 2013 HARDNOSED business sense can improve charitable outcomes. That should be obvious enough, but it is a story that doesn’t always get the attention it deserves. How cheering then to read this week of the difference Toyota made to the efficiency of New York’s food banks by sharing its commitment to kaizen, or continuous improvement. By [...]
The Nominations: A very warm welcome to the shortlists for the City A.M. awards 2013 September 8, 2013 TODAY we kick off the countdown to this year’s City A.M. Awards with the first of the shortlists for an event that has rapidly established itself as a highpoint in the annual calendar. Our awards, now in their fourth year, celebrate all of the City’s main sectors and the people that make sure London remains [...]
Simplify planning laws and Garden Cities could solve our housing crisis June 19, 2013 BRITAIN’s planning regulations are a lawyers’ banquet. A tangled web of 118 Acts of Parliament govern them and, while the legal profession and a new breed of lobbyists known as “planning consultants” may prosper from this quagmire, the economy suffers. This is the theme of a new policy report on Britain’s antiquated planning regime I [...]
British energy security is in doubt without new generation capacity June 24, 2013 FOR those who oppose the renewables industry, the discovery of shale gas is like the US Fifth Cavalry thundering into view. Just when it was becoming difficult to dismiss the role of the renewable sector in easing energy security fears, another argument arrives. We have no need to support or expand other renewables when energy [...]
Bitcoin exchanges ask UK regulator for approval July 7, 2013 LEADING Bitcoin exchanges are campaigning for the City regulator to bring the fast-growing virtual currency within its remit, City A.M. has learnt. The companies want the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) to give them the same approved status as other firms in the financial services sector – a move which the exchanges believe will help them build trust [...]
The Bank’s low interest rates will block our path to sustainable recovery August 12, 2013 THE Bank of England wants to secure sustainable growth and reduce unemployment by promising to keep rates near zero for three more years. Its new “forward guidance” commits to maintain rates at current emergency levels, even in the face of economic growth and above-target inflation. The success of this strategy depends on encouraging more lending [...]
Our at-a-glance guide to Osborne’s mini-budget December 5, 2013 Growth up, borrowing down, yet the debt is still rising. Another raid on the banks, but shops to gain from reduced business rates THE UK ECONOMIC OUTLOOK● The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) has revised up its forecast for economic growth and revised down its prediction for inflation. It expects unemployment to drop quickly next [...]