Women's Views on News |
| Business as usual in the banking sector? Posted: 11 Jan 2016 01:09 PM PST
We've heard a lot from George Osborne [recently] on the dangers of 'complacency' about the UK's resilience to global economic shocks. But the real complacency we should be worrying about is the return to business as usual in our banking sector. In a speech in Cardiff [on 7 January], the Chancellor warned that Britain faced a "dangerous cocktail of threats" in 2016, and that calls for more public investment amounted to "creeping complacency" about these threats. It's interesting to note the change of tone from his previously upbeat assessments of our economic prospects. As we argue on the NEF blog, the government's economic policies are in fact stoking up the conditions for another crash: namely a housing bubble and continued over-dependence on debt-fuelled consumer spending. But the timing is also ironic. In the very same Radio 4 interview which trailed his speech, Osborne was forced to defend the decision of City watchdog the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) to drop an inquiry into banking culture. This is just the latest in a string of signals that the post-crisis era of talking tough on banks is well and truly over. In recent weeks the FCA has also dropped an investigation into incentives for staff selling financial products, as well as deciding not to take action against HSBC over tax avoidance. For Osborne to claim that he has nothing to do with these developments is deeply disingenuous: last year he was personally linked to the sacking of Martin Wheatley, the former head of the FCA, who was widely seen as being tough on the banks. In his Mansion House speech last July, he [Osborne] set the tone for the new parliament by talking about a "new settlement" with the City. Apparently, sacking tough regulators and sweeping misconduct under the carpet is what that "new settlement" looks like. Osborne wants us to believe that the problems which led to the 2008 banking crisis have been fixed – perhaps because this is the only way he can hope to justify his new 'hug a banker' attitude. In his Radio 4 interview, he pointed to the Parliamentary Commission on Banking Standards as evidence that we didn't need another inquiry into banking culture. This shows an impressive level of chutzpah given that he is currently pushing through legislation to scrap one of its key recommendations to ensure senior managers could be held to account for misconduct. He boasted that the government had split retail from investment banking: but again, just months ago the regulator announced plans to water down these rules in response to industry lobbying. The British Bankers' Association even feels confident enough to demand – in an astonishing report which makes no reference to their role in the biggest financial crisis since the 1920s – that the UK's "competitiveness" as an international investment banking hub must be protected at almost any cost, threatening that big banks could leave unless they win further concessions on tax and regulation. If recent policies are anything to go by, there is every sign that they will get a sympathetic hearing. And yet, as we argued last year with our Financial System Resilience Index, these activities are precisely what makes us so vulnerable to the kind of global economic threats Osborne warned against yesterday. We still have the most bloated, complex, risky and top-heavy banking system in the developed world – as well as one of the least focussed on supporting the real economy. Any debate about economic complacency should start here. A version of this article appeared on the NEF Blog on 8 January 2016.  |
| Women’s film challenge for 2016 Posted: 11 Jan 2016 05:38 AM PST
Say YES, and join the#52FilmsByWomen movement! It is super easy: make the commitment, watch the film and post about it on Facebook or Twitter. You can curate a list on GoWatchIt, or pull from one of the many lists of films by female writers and directors. Women In Film (WIF) is a non-profit organisation dedicated to promoting equal opportunities for women, encouraging creative projects by women, and expanding and enhancing portrayals of women in all forms of global media. Given that women comprise 50 per cent of the population, WIF's ultimate goal is to see the same gender parity reflected on and off screen. Founded in 1973, WIF focuses on advocacy and education – provides scholarships, grants, and film finishing funds – and works to preserve the legacies of all women working in the entertainment community. In their latest round of research, Exploring the Careers of Female Filmmakers: Phase III, WIF found that one of the barriers for female directors is a perceived scarcity of talent pool and experience. Many of those surveyed couldn't name a female director. Can you believe that? There are over one thousand female directors on The Director List, 1300 female directors at the DGA and 45 who have helmed a USD25 million movie in the last 13 years. WIF believes that #52FilmsByWomen is a fun way to bring attention to the many talented female filmmakers around the world, and a great way to spark a creative and interactive conversation. And WIF hatched this idea to increase awareness of female filmmakers. Hopefully, along the way you'll find stories that inspire, educate and entertain you! Here's some tips: Have a look at GoWatchIt's channel curated just for #52FilmsByWomen. Film researcher Marya Gates has polled five hundred cinephiles and filmmakers to come up with this list of 103 Essentials Films from women directors. Raindance has a list of 25 best films directed by female film directors. Film Fatale has made a list of 68 Films By Women in which female directors pick their favourite films made by women. And then there is this list to hunt through: at the minimum, each woman in this database has either directed a feature film, an episode of television, a national commercial, or has extensive music video experience. And you can sign up – take a pledge – here, if you want.  |
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