Business comment, opinions on the business news

COLUMN: Lucinda Beaumont - Is shale gas the 21st Century’s Holy Grail? Apr 29 2013

THE UK is running out of energy. And very rapidly indeed, if the chief executive of Ofgem is to be believed.Read

COLUMN: Dr Simon Parry - Giving students a Flying Start Apr 25 2013

ONE of the first lessons I learnt when I qualified as an accountant was how different studying the theory of auditing was, to walking into a client’s office and trying to work the auditing software.Read

COLUMN: Sarah Green - Curriculum shake-up doesn’t go far enough Apr 23 2013

THIS is a key moment for the education system in England. The consultation on the proposed National Curriculum from 2014 is closing and now the Government will decide on its next steps.Read

COLUMN: Andrew Miller - Precious metals are not a foolproof hedge Apr 22 2013

RECEIVED wisdom has taken another knock in the last week. We may not have expected events to unfold quite as they did, but we have long felt that the conventional view of the crisis and its aftermath needs rethinking.Read

Importance of learning from past Apr 19 2013

LAST Monday, people throughout the country were divided when news of Baroness Margaret Thatcher's death broke. Upon hearing the news, our region in particular felt a spectrum of emotion towards the former Prime Minister, reminiscent of her time in Parliament.Read

COLUMN: John Anderson CBE - Thatcher continues to cause divide Apr 17 2013

THE death of Baroness Thatcher has caused many to debate and discuss her time during office.Read

Universities underpin prosperity Apr 12 2013

IT’S good to see the recent North East Economic Review report recognises the “leading role” played by universities in the region’s economic growth and productivity.Read

COLUMN: Bill Midgley - Not much different after all Apr 11 2013

ONE of the problems in putting together a few words such as these on a regular basis over more than 13 years is the fear of repetition.Read

What we can learn from Richard III Apr 10 2013

DIGGING up the remains of Richard III from a car park in Leicester provoked a frenzy of coverage from the media and led to a number of so-called erudite academic pieces by commentators about what this tells us.Read

The weird world of the gilt markets Apr 10 2013

WHAT do you think of an investment trading within a whisker of its all-time high, at a valuation never seen before, which is potentially volatile – if interest rates start to rise – and which is all but guaranteed to deliver a fall in price and a negative real total return on a 10-year view?Read

Keeping up pressure for A1 cash Apr 10 2013

COULD it finally be about to happen? After years of campaigning, is the Government about to announce an upgrade of the A1 to Scotland?Read

COLUMN: Sarah Green - Law review on rights for workers Apr 09 2013

REFORMING employment law is a favourite theme of politicians. And it should be, because getting the right balance between a strong floor of minimum rights for employees and avoiding red tape that restricts growth is an important debate.Read

COLUMN: Andrew Miller - No value to be had from government bonds Apr 08 2013

WHAT do you think of an investment trading within a whisker of its all-time high, at a valuation never seen before, which is potentially volatile if interest rates start to rise and which is all but guaranteed to deliver a fall in price and a negative real total return on a 10-year view?Read

COLUMN: Kevin Rowan - Paying the price for squeeze Apr 08 2013

THAT employer groups are encouraging the Low Pay Commission to recommend a freeze or even a cut in the National Minimum Wage is disappointing.Read

COLUMN: Ian Lowes - Will your pension pot be washed away too soon? Apr 06 2013

OUR pensions may be used up sooner than we’d hoped, says a new report. Ian Lowes looks at how to make up the shortfallRead

COLUMN: Chris Rigg - Good start to year for North East businesses Apr 03 2013

THERE has been plenty of speculation over the possibility of a ‘triple-dip’ recession, but the largest business survey in the North East has suggested this region’s firms started the year in good shape.Read

COLUMN: Andrew Miller - More room for gains to come Apr 03 2013

DEVELOPED stocks had a strong first quarter, but a setback seems overdue and there is no shortage of potential triggers.Read

COLUMN: Kevin Rowan - Rail plans are on the wrong track Apr 02 2013

EAST Coast, the public company running the East Coast Main Line has, to April 2012, returned £640m to the Treasury since returning to the public sector in 2009.Read

COLUMN: Bernie Callaghan - Partnership a boost for universities Mar 28 2013

PARTNERSHIPS define the past decade for universities, and their importance is set to grow.Read

COLUMN: Stephen Catchpole - We work together to benefit all Mar 27 2013

ONE of the great things about the Tees Valley is that we really do try to work together for the benefit of the area. It’s not just something that people talk about – it’s something that people do.Read