Archive for December, 2010
Happy Christmas for German businesses while British SMEs get a lump of coal
Posted by Stephen Clarke in Economics, Politics on 27/12/2010
Last week Civitas released a report detailing the successes of the German and Swiss banking systems. In particular the success of the German savings banks and the Swiss cantonal banks allowed German and Swiss businesses to continue to access credit throughout the recession. The benefits of this have been evident in 2010 as both countries recorded exceptional growth. This is in contrast to the UK, where businesses report constrained credit conditions and the Government futilely attempts to chastise the major banks into lending more to British SMEs.
Terminal illness
Posted by David Merlin-Jones in Economics, Politics on 23/12/2010
Hands up who thinks BAA stands for British Aviation Authority? Well put them down, you’re all wrong. The acronym has meant nothing after BAA was privatised in 1986 and since 2006, it has been owned by the Spanish consortium Ferrovial. The arctic chaos of this week has clearly shown that there are some infrastructures too important to abandon to private companies who prioritise profit before performance.
Hungary for Change?
Posted by Natalie Hamill in European Union on 23/12/2010
Hungary is readying itself for its chance at the EU helm as Belgium’s six-month rotating EU Presidency draws to a close. One of the newer EU member states (Hungary joined in 2004), this is their first opportunity to take on the EU Presidency role (member state take it in turns to hold the position for six-months) and it is unashamedly optimistic about the achievements possible under its mediation. Due to take over in January, what should we expect to see develop under Hungary’s guidance?
Using a sledgehammer to crack a nut
Posted by James Gubb in Health on 22/12/2010
Trawling through the 167 pages of the Coalition Government’s response to the consultation on the NHS White Paper ‘Equity and Excellence: Liberating the NHS’, one cannot help but agree with Phil Collins’ recent comment piece in The Times… just why is the Secretary of State making NHS reform so hard for himself?
Mister Very Important Prisoner
Posted by Carolina Bracken in Civil Liberty, Crime, Human Rights, Political Correctness, Security on 21/12/2010
In 1981, the then Governor of HMP Wormwood Scrubs, John McCarthy, composed a damning letter in The Times bemoaning the inadequacies of the prison system: “From my personal point of view I did not join the Prison Service…to be a member of a service where the staff that I admire are forced to run a society that debases.” How times have changed. Not only will (some) prisoners be re-enfranchised, but it seems that drugs barons and murderers can admonish the Prison Service for failing to meet the standards they themselves have set.
The hidden dangers of safety nets
Posted by Stephen Clarke in Economics, European Union, Politics on 20/12/2010
With the Irish bail-out agreed upon EU leaders and Eurozone country governments have been returning to the long-term task of placing the Eurozone on a more sustainable footing. However a number of recent pronouncements highlight the difficulties in concurrently achieving short-term stability and long-term change.
