The schmoozer of Davos prepares to bare his teeth
In the week of the World Economic Forum Rani Singh talks to Angel Gurría, head of the OECD, who has sharp words on capitalist ‘schizophrenia’ and a coded warning for Gordon
They’re not just talking about developing countries, either. In March last year the OECD’s working group on bribery expressed ‘serious concerns’ about the UK’s legislative arrangements in relation to bribery in international business deals. This was to do with the public controversy about BAE Systems plc. In this context, the working group said it would send a team of experts to review Britain’s arrangements. The group will visit Britain at the end of March to see whether things have advanced since the same time last year. At that time, as an investigation into BAE’s activities was quashed, there was speculation that the British government was effectively contravening an OECD convention banning the payment of bribes to foreign public officials in international business transactions.
This is all Gurría will say on the matter: ‘Our mission is to make the world economy work better. All of our members monitor each other’s performance. We are constantly calling on countries to do better. That’s how we work.’ But it’s clear what he means.
In the week of Davos, it is tempting to see Gurría as no more than a charming accumulator of economic information and a world-class schmoozer. But — when the fine wines and warm words are no more than a memory — his team could be causing Gordon a serious headache this spring.
More articles from: Rani Singh | this section
Post this entry to: del.icio.us | Digg | Newsvine | NowPublic | Reddit
Advertisement
The great Tory tax and spend battle: seconds out...
Fraser Nelson and Daniel FinkelsteinIn the wake of Cameron’s decision to drop his pledge to match Labour spending, Fraser Nelson and Daniel Fin kelstein of the Times trade rhetorical blows over the issue that is gripping and troubling the Conservative party as it adjusts to the transformed economic context
Where is our inspiration when we most need it?
Bryan ForbesBryan Forbes remembers listening to Churchill as a 14-year-old evacuee and now looks with envy at Obama’s capacity to galvanise hope. Where are his UK counterparts?
For a bit of perspective, try thinking Jurassic
Christopher LloydThe first takeaways originated about 150 million years ago, says Christopher Lloyd; global travel is pretty ancient, too. And as for democracy...
Don’t confuse conversation with dialogue or quips
Catherine BlythCatherine Blyth says that conversation is an art: its essence is the acrobatic business of reading and changing minds — talking with people, not at them
Thank goodness we can have a run on the pound when we need one
Martin Vander WeyerMartin Vander Weyer looks ahead to next week’s Pre-Budget Report and reflects on George Osborne’s contentious remarks about the devaluation of sterling. It looks like Gordon Brown is getting away with his borrowing binge — leaving the Tories isolated
Want to cut taxes? First cut spending. Here’s how
Fraser NelsonAfter a week of clamorous competition between the parties over tax cuts, Fraser Nelson offers a guide to paying for them: a programme of spending cuts that would preserve core services but shave off the fat of the Brown years. All that is needed is political will
The Tory quest for a fiscal Holy Grail is doomed
Irwin StelzerBrown’s golden rules have been exposed as a sham, says Irwin Stelzer, but the Tory response has been feeble. Their target should be the PM’s feathering of Old Labour nests
A quantum of respect for the forgotten master
Sinclair McKaySinclair McKay hails the pioneering novels of William Le Queux, true inventor of the modern spy novel, whose thrillers prefigured the Bond books by more than half a century
There is nothing magic about this Keynesian fad
Tim CongdonLast week, The Spectator said that ‘Keynesianism is not the answer’. Here, Tim Congdon says the government’s economic recovery strategy is a sham based on outmoded leftist thinking
Clinton Democrats are to blame for the credit crunch
Dennis SewellOur current financial turmoil is not the fault of greedy bankers, says Dennis Sewell. In fact, the banks were bullied into lowering their lending standards by left-wing idealists intent on equal opportunities at any cost
Latest blog posts
sponsored links
Free Sky Digital Offer - Order Now
Subscribe to Sky from £16 a month. Get free equipment and free broadband - Join Now. Sky HD - be amongst the first to have it - order now.
Free Sky Digital Offer - Order Now
Subscribe to Sky from £16 a month. Get free equipment and free broadband - Join Now. Sky HD - be...
ROME CENTRE
PORTA METRONIA, ROME Standing high on the top of one of the seven hills of Rome- the Coelian- this unique
City Breaks. ROME and PARIS
ROME and PARIS: over 350 holiday rentals apartments listed: visit www.romanreference.com and www.parisreference.com or call +39 0648 903612.
Jewellery. RUFFS (Estd. 1904).
Goldsmiths by Design Welcome to Ruffs! You have found a company of Goldsmiths that specialises in the manufacture, amongst other
Spectator Business | Apollo Magazine
Corporate | Advertising | Privacy | Terms
Spectator, 22 Old Queen Street, London, SW1H 9HP
All Articles and Content Copyright ©2008 by The Spectator | All Rights Reserved
john problem
January 24th, 2008 11:56amWhat a success Davos would be if these great intellects started thinking about how the financial system could be improved and rendered more stable. Have any good ideas ever come out of this august gathering? What is its purpose? If Alastair Darling will not be present but Emma Thompson will, is this a possible indicator of of who will be our next Chancellor? She would seem to qualify on two counts - almost certainly an equivalent knowledge of economics, if not more, and far more charisma.
mark
January 25th, 2008 1:53amtThe warning signs were very clear and have been for a long time. Cash is king!! - "never a borrower or a lender be" remember that? - but instead we have had agressive advertising to people to not just buy a product, but, worse, to refinance a house, consolidate debt etc. To switch capital expenditure (house payments) into operational costs (Plasma TVs, holidays) is and always was complete madness. Did no-one see that the principles of accounting rules apply equally to a household account? We even see adverts to convert a future pension into cash today..? Maybe this is just the downside of capitalism? Or the inevitable outcome of individual "greed" and a desire to satisfy that NOW.
Colonial Mike
January 25th, 2008 7:23amBono at Davos? And I was always under the impression that pop star's talents lay in pop music, chemical substances and furious copulation, generally with multiple partners. Whose next? The idiotic Geldorf? "Posh" Spice? "Kicker" Spice? Mike Tyson?
Brenda Elvin
January 26th, 2008 8:22amGreat article, it's nice to see the human face (and thoughts) of leader's of large organisations.