Hamish McRae

Hamish McRae: The talent that creates a tax conundrum

Published: 03 October 2007

Tax is an issue again. It was a huge issue before Labour came into power in 1997, but the pre-election commitment not to increase the basic rates of income tax and VAT defused it. Voters might grumble about Gordon Brown's "stealth taxes", and the experts might note that the tax burden has risen as a percentage of GDP.

Hamish McRae: My advice to the PM would be to go now

Published: 26 September 2007

Go ASAP. In purely economic terms the timing of the election is a no-brainer. It is very hard to see any set of circumstances whereby economic conditions will improve over the next two years and a number of reasons why it might deteriorate.

Hamish McRae: Northern Rock has been appallingly badly handled - but good may yet come out of it

Published: 19 September 2007

This is about trust. Trust in the regulators; trust in the banking system; trust in the government itself. The immediate banking crisis is over, as it should be, for if an unlimited Treasury guarantee of all deposits did not restore calm to the markets I don't know what would. But this has not been well handled – it has been appalling handled.

Hamish McRae: The squeeze has begun - but how long will it last?

Published: 13 September 2007

Higher mortgage rates; slower retail sales; the Bank of England refusing to help banks under pressure; and a government about to squeeze the growth of public spending. Is Britain's long boom coming to an end?

Hamish McRae: The global revolution in ethical business

Published: 12 September 2007

"Ethical business" – no, I don't think it is fair to argue that Dame Anita Roddick was a revolutionary who transformed the ethics of the cosmetics industry. She built up a wonderful niche business that was eventually sold to a multinational. But her life and work illustrate surely something more interesting: the oft-occurring principle that businesses that build an ethical dimension into their activities can prosper, while those that don't leave themselves exposed.

Hamish McRae: The greatest boom the world has ever seen

Published: 05 September 2007

Beijing: China's pre-Olympics economic boom has ratcheted up a few clicks. With less than a year to run, it is not just the main stadium site that is humming; the entire city is a great building site. Not only is it rushing to complete new hotels and other facilities ahead of the games, it is also sprucing itself up: fixing pavements, repainting shopfronts, opening restaurants.

Hamish McRae: Prepare for a slowdown, but not a crash

Published: 22 August 2007

The end of the global property boom is in sight, and there will not be another for a long time

Hamish McRae: Drought, growth and a changing climate

Published: 25 July 2007

Australia will make a huge effort to adapt its entire economy. It could influence the rest of the world

Hamish McRae: It's not all gloom facing the new Chancellor, although he has plenty of reasons to worry

Published: 11 July 2007

Economic growth is strong, but people are keeping up living standards by running down savings

Hamish McRae: Enjoy the strong pound - it will not last

Published: 04 July 2007

It cannot go on forever. We are relying on an inflow of funds to pay for all the stuff we buy from abroad

Hamish McRae: We are getting richer, but more insecure and cynical about politicians. What can be done?

Published: 27 June 2007

Gordon Brown has an opportunity to reshape the way our government tackles universal concerns

Hamish McRae: Will chocolate go the way of cigarettes?

Published: 20 June 2007

I wonder how long it will be before they carry a health warning:"Danger, these sweets make you fat"

Hamish McRae: Welcome to this brave new world, Mr Blair

Published: 14 June 2007

His complaint that the media undermine the authority of government is almost quaint

Hamish McRae: Here's how to build a bridge to Russia

Published: 06 June 2007

There should be a single economic space from the Atlantic to the Urals - as there was pre-1914

Hamish McRae: The balance of power is shifting

Published: 30 May 2007

You could make a strong case that it is not in China's self-interest to become too close to the G8

Hamish McRae: The hidden costs of planning delays

Published: 23 May 2007

It was not the intention of the procedures to be socially divisive, but that has been the effect

Hamish McRae: Sarkozy could teach Brown a lesson

Published: 16 May 2007

I fear that he will simply press on, 'refreshing' existing policies rather than thinking laterally

Hamish McRae: France has everything going for it now

Published: 09 May 2007

It is almost as though they are a coiled-up spring waiting for regulation to be released

Hamish McRae: The real cause of the North-South divide

Published: 02 May 2007

Taking money from the South and giving it to the rest of the country is doing more harm than good

Hamish McRae: The architect of Russia's success

Published: 25 April 2007

Yeltsin may have left office discredited, but the fruits of his labours have been enjoyed by Putin

Hamish McRae: Stand by for higher interest rates

Published: 18 April 2007

The Chancellor took the credit for low inflation: now he must take some of the blame

Hamish McRae: If the Irish can thrive, why can't the Scots?

Published: 11 April 2007

Scotland starts from a much more favourable position than Ireland did, even in the 1980s

Hamish McRae: The charge against Brown is inflexibility

Published: 04 April 2007

It cannot be right to disadvantage private sector workers vis-à-vis public sector ones in the way he has

Hamish McRae: Budget that fails to confront difficult days that lie ahead

Published: 22 March 2007

The headline rate on the two headline taxes is going down, but the tax take is going up

Hamish McRae: Gordon Brown has achieved much of what he set out to do. So why is he not more popular?

Published: 21 March 2007

There is a general, corrosive feeling that things are not quite as hunky-dory as we are being told

Hamish McRae

Hamish McRae: The talent that creates a tax conundrum

Hamish McRae: My advice to the PM would be to go now

Hamish McRae: Northern Rock has been appallingly badly handled - but good may yet come out of it

Hamish McRae: The squeeze has begun - but how long will it last?

Hamish McRae: The global revolution in ethical business

Hamish McRae: The greatest boom the world has ever seen

Hamish McRae: Prepare for a slowdown, but not a crash

Hamish McRae: Drought, growth and a changing climate

Hamish McRae: It's not all gloom facing the new Chancellor, although he has plenty of reasons to worry

Hamish McRae: Enjoy the strong pound - it will not last

Hamish McRae: We are getting richer, but more insecure and cynical about politicians. What can be done?

Hamish McRae: Will chocolate go the way of cigarettes?

Hamish McRae: Welcome to this brave new world, Mr Blair

Hamish McRae: Here's how to build a bridge to Russia

Hamish McRae: The balance of power is shifting

Hamish McRae: The hidden costs of planning delays

Hamish McRae: Sarkozy could teach Brown a lesson

Hamish McRae: France has everything going for it now

Hamish McRae: The real cause of the North-South divide

Hamish McRae: The architect of Russia's success

Hamish McRae: Stand by for higher interest rates

Hamish McRae: If the Irish can thrive, why can't the Scots?

Hamish McRae: The charge against Brown is inflexibility

Hamish McRae: Budget that fails to confront difficult days that lie ahead

Hamish McRae: Gordon Brown has achieved much of what he set out to do. So why is he not more popular?

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