The people of Scotland will have the opportunity to vote on the country's independence from the rest of the UK in 2014. But while the decision will inevitably be an emotive one, the financial, business and political ramifications cannot be ignored, and it appears that there is still a great deal of uncertainty surrounding them.
As the Chinese authorities lift restrictions and open up the renminbi market stage by stage, the significance of what is unfolding has not gone unrecognised in Europe, and, according to a recent survey by The Banker, it is not only those already doing business with the country that are interested in the renminbi's development. As London takes steps to establish itself as an offshore renminbi financial centre, many are anxious to take advantage of the opportunities soon to be available.
Barclays built a multi-asset execution platform out of the Lehman acquisition, and the debt specialist in the bank’s two-man management team for global finance in the EMEA region is relishing the opportunity to deploy that platform if merger and acquisition activity picks up.
At a time of fiscal austerity across many countries in Europe, clampdowns on tax planning by large corporates or wealthy individuals play favourably with voters. But they can also undermine competitiveness and the fragile economic recovery.
As China has moved to speed up the internationalisation of its domestic currency since the financial crisis, the UK has made no secret of its willingness to play a role in this process. But much work still needs to be done with regards to trade settlements between the two countries, as well as improving transport links and communications.
In response to the suggestion – put forward by bankers and central bankers in the UK – that a temporary cut in capital adequacy requirements would stimulate new lending and economic growth, The Banker has simulated how a 1% lower Basel requirement might affect various major world economies.
HSBC has not suffered in the global financial crisis as badly as many of its UK counterparts, and it is already well established in the high-growth emerging markets likely to dominate world trade in the coming decades. However, the bank's new chief executive still believes it could be offering better value to HSBC investors.