Peter's question

Over here.

He wants to know how to sell a Cabinet.

Surely that's entirely the wrong question for us plutocrats and members of the intelligentsia.

We want to know how to buy one, don't we?

Email to a friend   |   Permalink   |   Comment

That euro economy

There's a definite whiff of something rather scary here.

"The euro's surge over the past two years has caught up. We've seen a hollowing out of the euro area's industrial sector, an oil shock, and tightening credit conditions, made worse by the European Central Bank's decision to raise rates in June," he said.

Nobel economist Robert Solow said the ECB had made a bad mistake and was now moving far too slowly to stop the downturn engulfing the region.

"I get the feeling that the mandate of the ECB is based on the notion...

Continue reading...

Email to a friend   |   Permalink   |   Comment

Business Technology

Business technology marches on....no, sorry, that sounds like something that's about to sell you a new meeting planner, doesn't it. Rather, the technology of business changes, by which I mean the technology of how we actually arrange a business.

Yes, business structure is just as much a technology as anything else is. For example:

The executives behind the Kaiser Chiefs and Primal Scream are backing a new website to allow people to buy a stake in the artist.

It could provide musicians with an alternative to large labels and give unsigned acts the chance...

Continue reading...

Email to a friend   |   Permalink   |   Comment

Internal strife at M&S

Marks & Spencer has suspended a whistle blower who revealed the retailer’s plans to cut redundancy terms for more than 60,000 staff. Unsurprisingly, Stuart Rose and his senior managers are facing an angry backlash from staff over the plans.

And it's not just M&S staff who are angry. Paul Kenny, general secretary of the GMB union representing the whistle blower, told The Times: "Why do people at the bottom get the sack on the cheap while the top bosses get large payouts even when they leave having messed up?"  

Email to a friend   |   Permalink   |   Comment

Mistakes such as these should disqualify the wealthy from pontificating about taxation or redistribution.

That is, of course a quote from Polly's new book. If we replace "weatlhy" (which Polly is of course but no matter) with "journalists" we have a handy stick with which to beat those who don't understand what is goin on around them but insist nevertheless to pontificate upon such matters. Like, umm, Polly:

(Incidentally, the US has a hefty exit tax, punishing companies that leave: why not here?)

That would be because we're members of the European Union dear. You know, this free movement of goods, labour and capital? It applies just as much to companies as...

Continue reading...

Email to a friend   |   Permalink   |   Comment