Scottish No vote makes independence more likely
The general reaction in Westminster and the City of London to the Scottish referendum has been one of relief. This is a big mista...
Scotland can prosper whether Yes or No
Last week, financial markets for the first time began to take seriously the possibility that Scotland might vote ‘yes’ to independence....
Tricky questions for Scots lucky enough to have a vote
Tricky questions for Scots lucky enough to have a vote
Scotland and England became a United Kingdom (under a Scottish monarch) in 16...
The wisest choices depend on instinct and careful analysis
Flash Boys by Michael Lewis was summer reading for me and many others. The engaging style but abrupt conclusion took me back to M...
Why simple and robust regulation is the way to reduce financial complexity
In 1997, Robin Potts QC was asked by ISDA, the International Swaps and Derivatives Association, to review the new market in credit defa...
No universal law predicts the outcome of disruptive innovation
Last week, I described the responses of music and book publishers to digital technology. The evolution of these industries il...
Authors should back Amazon in the battle with Hachette
A group of leading authors, including Donna Tartt, Stephen King and Malcolm Gladwell, has attempted to intervene in the dispu...
If you take the bonus, you should take the rap
In one of many memorable scenes from Casablanca, the affable but corrupt French police chief, Renault, closes Rick’s club. ‘I am ...
Why mean outcomes are often meaningless
You have spent £2 on a lottery ticket. On Saturday evening you may be a millionaire. Or, more likely, not.
But meantime,...
Competition in banking does not necessarily benefit consumers
The new Competition and Markets Authority has chosen personal current account backing as one of its first subjects of major inquiry.&nb...