The Best of Times
Challenges and Triumphs in British Politi, Economi and Foreign Affairs 2013-2015
Published on 19. May 2016
304 pages
978-1-78590-117-1 (ISBN)
Description
Tensions simmer in the aftermath of 2008's catastrophic financial crash. As the darkest days of the crisis fade behind us, great obstacles to prosperity remain. Mark Field's acclaimed first book, Between the Crashes, explored the economic collapse. Now, in his new collection of essays, the City of London MP charts our progress as the economy splutters back to life, untangling the rhetoric of deficit reduction from reality, and meaningful reform from political posture.
The Best of Times traces the compromises of coalition government and the emergence of a new anti-establishment sentiment, taking in the Scottish independence referendum, UKIP's rise and fall, and the unexpected genesis of Corbynism. Conflicts in the Middle East open a dark chapter in foreign affairs while, closer to home, a shock Conservative victory in the 2015 general election ensures a hotly debated EU referendum.Yet, for all the surprises delivered by the past three years, today's challenges are deeply familiar: shifting global power, generational wars and disillusionment with capitalism still threaten our prosperity. Engaging and unflinching, The Best of Times offers erudite analysis and practical solutions to the challenges facing Britain today.
More details
Person
Mark Field is a Conservative politician, author and solicitor. He has served as Member of Parliament for the Cities of London and Westminster since 2001. He currently sits on the intelligence and security committee.
Content
- Intro
- Title Page
- Contents
- Foreword
- 2013
- Corporate tax avoidance, 7 January 2013
- The first skirmish of many?, 21 January 2013
- Bash the banks and global companies if you must, but we need them more than ever, 2 February 2013
- London under threat from a European banking union?, 5 February 2013
- This House believes the City is a drain on talent, 21 February 2013
- The deeper discontent beneath the mansion tax debate, 23 February 2013
- Some pre-Budget thoughts, 5 March 2013
- What are the odds on government getting out of the banking business? (Daily Telegraph), 7 March 2013
- Financial Services (Banking Reform) Bill, 11 March 2013
- What the Cypriot haircut means for the eurozone, 18 March 2013
- Budget 2013, 19 March 2013
- Whatever happened to that export-led growth?, 14 April 2013
- Between the Crashes, 24 April 2013
- The mispricing of risk, 11 May 2013
- The OBR - it seemed such a good idea at the time, 30 May 2013
- Anti-avoidance and the slippery slope to tax tyranny (City AM), 4 June 2013
- Forget the British Empire - Syria's fate is not ours to determine (Daily Telegraph), 5 June 2013
- Yet again the City is under attack (Daily Telegraph), 19 June 2013
- The eurozone's shadow still hangs over us, 23 June 2013
- Governor Carney - a new broom on QE and interest rates?, 1 July 2013
- Will hugging close to coalition plans help Labour make progress on economic competence?, 15 July 2013
- The complexity of locating Britain's national interest in the Middle East, 27 August 2013
- The need to realign ethics with self-interest, 25 September 2013
- Leave Labour to its tactics, there is a better alternative (Daily Telegraph), 30 September 2013
- The case against the mansion tax, 17 October 2013
- Banking competition - why we need a common platform, 7 November 2013
- RBS - back to square one?, 7 November 2013
- Britain must lead calls for simpler, more certain tax regimes (Daily Telegraph), 3 December 2013
- 2014
- The nuts and bolts of tackling tax avoidance (City AM), 7 January 2014
- 2014 - The Tory equivalent of Brown's missed opportunity?, 18 January 2014
- Ultra-low interest rates carry a cost and it's beginning to rack up (Daily Telegraph), 19 January 2014
- A Miliband government really might take us back to the '60s, 5 February 2014
- Families have a right to keep finances private (Sunday Telegraph), 25 February 2014
- The Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership, 25 February 2014
- Ukraine - Russia's chance for an international renaissance, 2 March 2014
- Keep it simple - it's the deficit, stupid!, 12 March 2014
- Has the government helped or hindered the economic recovery?, 17 March 2014
- We need a rational debate on immigration (Sunday Times), 23 March 2014
- HMRC's zeal over tax avoidance is harming investment in British film (Daily Telegraph), 28 March 2014
- Time to give our banks a break, 15 April 2014
- Let's not write the US off yet - China will rise, but will have pressing problems, 3 May 2014
- Where exactly does an EU exit lead us?, 20 May 2014
- Modi's India - finally open to business from the City?, 31 May 2014
- The eurozone crisis is not over - it could erupt at any time (Daily Telegraph), 13 June 2014
- Temper your faith in the Lords of Finance, 1 July 2014
- Ukraine - a never-ending story, 17 July 2014
- Is protectionism part of the 'new economics'?, 5 August 2014
- A lesson from history and a pathway to the future, 12 August 2014
- Forward guidance - a political gambit that has retarded true capitalism (City AM), 19 August 2014
- Politicians should listen to what voters are saying - and welcome international students into Britain, 25 August 2014
- Pension Schemes Bill, 2 September 2014
- Devo Max is a cheap last-gasp offer, but a federal UK may be the happy outcome (City AM), 11 September 2014
- It's growth and recovery, all right. But how sustainable is it?, 14 September 2014
- High time to recognise the limitations of raising tax thresholds, 2 October 2014
- Arbitrarily criminalising banking is a reckless way to reform British finance (City AM), 9 October 2014
- The crackdown on 'no win, no fee' risks handing a victory to dodgy directors (City AM), 16 October 2014
- A global brand being recklessly neglected, 16 November 2014
- Some strategic thoughts for the Autumn Statement and beyond, 30 November 2014
- Stamp duty overhauled in the Autumn Statement, 4 December 2014
- Unpredictable perhaps, but unprecedented?, 4 December 2014
- A European good news story (Daily Telegraph), 19 December 2014
- 2015
- Some numbers to reflect on, 8 January 2015
- Some home truths on the NHS, 22 January 2015
- Could a review of council tax be the antidote to Labour's mansion tax?, 14 February 2015
- Tax avoidance - a practical glossary, 23 February 2015
- The fracturing of the austerity consensus, 14 March 2015
- So what's so unsustainable about minority government?, 30 March 2015
- The London Powerhouse: universities are at the heart of the capital's success (City AM), 30 March 2015
- Osborne should prioritise taxpayer value over rapid RBS privatisation (City AM), 10 June 2015
- Europe and debt: twin challenges for the new government, 18 June 2015
- Time to put that long-term economic plan into action, 21 June 2015
- DfID - a practical rethink, 28 June 2015
- Grexit may solve nothing, and cost Britain dearly, 10 July 2015
- Universities are on the front line in the UK's battle against Islamic extremism (City AM), 22 July 2015
- Some thoughts on the refugee crisis, 8 September 2015
- Corbyn's capital city effect, 12 September 2015
- The end game in Syria is still far from clear (Cap X), 30 September 2015
- What now electorally for the Lib Dems?, 8 October 2015
- Thank goodness for political stability, 25 October 2015
- Britain is a force for good in the EU (Cap X), 28 October 2015
- Data protection - can UK exceptionalism hold?, 3 November 2015
- Are we really so wise to rely upon foreign investors to sustain our deficit?, 22 November 2015
- Autumn Statement: the verdict, 25 November 2015
- Debate on military action in Syria, 2 December 2015
- The UK needs to insure itself better against the cyber-terrorism threat (City AM), 3 December 2015
- London tech city (House Magazine), 11 December 2015
- Time for radicalism to address London's housing affordability crisis? (City AM), 18 December 2015
- Still alive, but is the Greek economy kicking?, 20 December 2015
- Epilogue - 2016
- About the Author
- Copyright
