Taking Stock - Hairy men matter in the economy.
Dennis Turner, HSBC’s chief economist and Derek Jameson sound-alike, was suitably bombastic as the after-dinner entertainment for this weeks’ English ICA’s General Practitioners conference.
And he did more to boost the egos of the GPs than any PR campaign the Institute could come up with. Referring to the globalisation of UK plc, Turner reckoned that Clarke and Brown had got the economy sussed.
Talking to the gathered throng he declared: ‘They know it’s not politicians like them nor namby pamby economists like me that matter. What counts for the economy are people like you – hairy chested men of action!’ Cue a one-minute break for much back slapping and high fives.
A life-long Fulham supporter (yes, he’s the one), the economist claimed history really did repeat itself – the last time inflation had been this low for this long, there was a Labour government with a huge majority… and Fulham were in the 1st Division. ‘People tell me it isn’t really the old 1st Division anymore. I know it isn’t, but then again it isn’t a real Labour government either!’
Like all economists, he simply didn’t know whether Britain should join the euro, though he did note the euro had staged a slight recovery recently… against the Esso world cup medal collection. ‘Otherwise it’s still a bit of a dog.’
And as a final thought on the buoyant state of the economy, Turner urged the collected bean-counters to pass on a tip to any clients who were not going to make lots and lots of money this year: ‘Pack it in!’
In the past decade, the professional services industry has transformed significantly. Digital disruptions, increased competition, and changing market ...
View resourceIn recent months, professional services firms are facing more pressure than ever to deliver value to clients. Often, clients look at the firms own inf...
View resourceIn a world of instant results and automated workloads, the potential for AP to drive insights and transform results is enormous. But, if you’re still ...
View resourceThe first phase of Making Tax Digital (MTD) saw the requirement for the digital submission of the VAT Return using compliant software. That’s now behi...
View resourceGlobal spend on accountancy outsourcing up by 40% in the space of five years. News comes as accountancy outsourcing specialist AdvanceTrack reports en...
View articleFollowing a profitability review, Deloitte has decided to scale back its UK deals business due to lower returns. This strategic shift could lead to jo...
View articleUK-based Dow Schofield Watts (DSW), a mid-market professional services network, announced the creation of a new division called DSW Principal Partners...
View articleEY has been undergoing significant cost-cutting measures and streamlining its operations since the abandonment of Project Everest. The firm has made t...
View articleTransitioning from an accounting firm to a consultancy model is only one part of the puzzle. The next, equally vital piece is making the market aware ...
View articleThis framework, while providing a top-line view, underscores the importance of strategic vision, operational excellence, and the spirit of continuous ...
View articleLooking ahead, the Big 4 firms face a challenging year, with ongoing cost-of-living concerns, slow economic growth, rising geopolitical tensions, and ...
View articleLast month it was reported that Deloitte would be cutting approximately 1,200 jobs in the United States, making it the latest of the Big Four accounti...
View article