Investing with an Ethical Sense

11^th August 2015

During the last few years, we have seen an unprecedented number of scandals involving the most prominent institutions, across the World and all the industrial sectors. These scandals have contributed to global crises affecting millions.

Reflections on the Magna Carta: A constitutional angle on seeking the common good

24^th July 2015

The recent anniversary of the sealing of Magna Carta provides a helpful space in which to pause and take stock of the popular legitimacy of our political structures and institutions. As many have pointed out, the retrospective writing of history is evident in the Magna Carta’s mythic status.

common good + magna carta + society

Can the BBC survive after 2022?

16^th July 2015

Woes, like a biblical plague: the BBC’s continue to multiply. The image is not inapposite; Reith would have approved. Hard on the appointment of John Whittingdale, as culture secretary, not a Corporation supporter, comes news that the BBC will not get the exclusive rights to covering the Olympic Games, after 2022.

BBC + Media

Summer Budget 2015: Unpacking the National Living Wage

9^th July 2015

Yesterday’s budget speech was notable for a number of reasons — not least that it was the first Tory budget for 19 years. Content wise, there were key announcements on welfare, apprenticeships, housing, and devolution.

Budget 2015

Enabling rural communities to thrive: Powering the rural economy

6^th July 2015

Britain, along with much of the rest of the world, is facing the infamous energy “trilemma” of rising energy costs, climate change and strains on security of supply. With about 20% of our population living in rural areas, it’s vital that we find clean, sustainable ways to address this trilemma within the rural economy.

Community energy + Energy + Rural economy

The revival of professional integrity

2^nd July 2015

  In the late 1990s, Solomon commented:  ‘”Integrity” is a word like “honor” – its close kin – that sometimes seems all but archaic in the modern business world’ (Solomon, 1997, p.

Are the Virtues Universal?

30^th June 2015

In a collection of notes apparently recorded by his son Nichomachus, Aristotle reportedly maintained that the human good consists of virtuous activity. We flourish through virtue and are better off living a virtuous life.

Virtue Ethics Renewed: Morality in a post religious, post relativist secular age

26^th June 2015

Top down morality is out, hierarchies of traditionally respected authority are done. Our institutions, in particular those that wield political power are typically viewed with serious mistrust. The maxim that: ‘Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.

Does private tuition exacerbate educational inequality?

2^nd June 2015

The drivers of educational attainment are complex. On the one hand, a child’s lot in life can be dramatically improved when they are exposed to excellent school teaching.  For example, pupils from poorer backgrounds in Britain have been shown to gain 1.5 years’ worth of learning in a single year when taught by very effective teachers, compared to only 0.5 years with badly performing teachers.

Democratic education + Education + Inequality

Vocational Banking: How can we restore trust and confidence in financial services?

29^th May 2015

It’s commonly held that business ethics begin where the law ends. But as we argued in our Virtuous Banking report last year, ordinary people are far from convinced that this applies to banking.