Helen Thomas

Wednesday, 20 September, 2023

Monday, 18 September, 2023

UK energy

We’re back to a Big Six energy market. So now what?

A decade of reform has left the UK with a power system in danger of failing on competition, innovation and fairness

Wednesday, 13 September, 2023

Electric vehicles

The EV car crash is a warning for Europe’s industrial transition

China is so far ahead in the electric vehicles market that its competitors are trailing in the dust

Monday, 11 September, 2023

Retail & Consumer industry

The supermarkets’ next big product is your data

Personalised online and in-store advertising could prove very profitable for retail chains

Wednesday, 6 September, 2023

UK local government finance

Local government audit is a serious mess

Birmingham city council’s bankruptcy highlights the worrying state of local government finances

Monday, 4 September, 2023

Equities

Why is the London Stock Exchange muscling in on the private equity world?

The market wants to give founders, investors and employees in private companies a way to sell their shares

Monday, 31 July, 2023

UK economy

These superfund zombies won’t take over the pensions market

For-profit superfunds raise concerns about regulatory arbitrage but the need for them is much reduced after market changes

Wednesday, 26 July, 2023

Construction sector

M&S has a point: blocking redevelopment on Oxford Street is anti-business

In absence of proper policy, decision looks arbitrary and confusing

Monday, 24 July, 2023

UK financial regulation

The cost of living crisis is no reason to buy now, regulate later

BNPL can be useful but it should be monitored alongside other forms of consumer credit

Tuesday, 18 July, 2023

Working It podcast19 min listen

Why are sexual harassment and assault still happening at work?

Sexual harassment and assault remain far too common

Tuesday, 18 July, 2023

Mergers & Acquisitions

Global antitrust needs police as well as guard dogs

The recent Federal Trade Commission defeat on Microsoft-Activision is a blow for those wanting to reverse decades of lax enforcement

Monday, 17 July, 2023

Telecoms

Why Vodafone’s megamerger could have a 3.9% problem

Many mobile companies add an identical surcharge to bills, attracting the attention of regulators

Wednesday, 12 July, 2023

Pensions industry

The future of UK pensions: delayed and confused

Flurry of consultations does not inspire confidence in chancellor’s promised clear ‘direction of travel’

Monday, 10 July, 2023

UK banks

Forget Farage: who will fight for the genuine unbanked millions?

The barriers to bank accounts deserve attention, no matter who is affected in society

Wednesday, 5 July, 2023

Financial services

Let’s kill off the City’s old-fashioned paper fetish once and for all

Digitisation of the UK’s shareholding system has been blocked by vested interests for decades

Monday, 3 July, 2023

Utilities

Water has a private equity, not a private ownership, issue

The listed groups are less geared and have made a better start at tackling problems with ailing infrastructure

Wednesday, 28 June, 2023

UK banks

So much for UK savers and homeowners — what about the have-neithers?

Research suggests 3mn people have borrowed from an illegal money lender over the past three years

Monday, 26 June, 2023

Mortgages

The UK mortgage market may need an overhaul, not handouts

There need to be longer-term questions about the peculiarities of housing borrowing in Britain

Wednesday, 21 June, 2023

Food security

Murky world of global food trading is too important to ignore

Dominance by a handful of companies over the flows of grain and other commodities deserves much more scrutiny

Monday, 19 June, 2023

UK economy

Meddling with regulators’ duties is an unfortunate UK failing

Watchdogs are burdened with new social policy obligations, with mixed results

Tuesday, 13 June, 2023

Sexual misconduct allegations

When it comes to harassment, the City must stop protecting its wallet

Banks and asset managers were quick to sever relationships with Crispin Odey after the FT’s investigation

Monday, 12 June, 2023

Confederation of British Industry

The CBI may need to break up to survive

A ‘good lobby/bad lobby’ proposal shows the challenges facing the group as it attempts to rebuild

Wednesday, 7 June, 2023

Climate change

Don’t let America’s ‘war on woke’ kill off climate collaboration

The disintegration of the insurance sector alliance under Gfanz emphasises such coalitions will need to adapt

Thursday, 1 June, 2023

Philip Morris International Inc

PMI should forget wellness and focus on smokers who want to quit

The tobacco company can justifiably claim expertise in developing alternative products that smokers will actually try

Thursday, 1 June, 2023

Pharmaceuticals sector

Ailing UK life sciences sector will need further treatment

Policy prescriptions are plentiful but momentum and money behind them is lacking

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