Today’s post looks at what, potentially, could be the next large-scale case of corruption, and that is the amalgamation of allegations of corruption perpetrated by the European-based Aero Corporation Airbus. Whilst we have looked at the Aero industry closely recently, particularly with regards to the trade-dispute between Bombardier and Boeing, this post can perhaps be regarded as the next instalment of our analyses into the work that the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) is conducting, because it is extremely likely that the SFO will be taking action against Airbus at some point. A previous post regarding the SFO looked at its reprimanding of Rolls-Royce , and there are many similarities between the actions taken in that case, and the actions that may be taken in this particular case; yet, the political elements that are included in this case mean that the outcome may be much different to what is currently being projected. Firstly, it is worth reviewing Airbus’ current situation, bec...

Today’s post reacts to the news that BMW, the famous German auto-manufacturer, has been raided by the European Commission’s (EC) antitrust division as part of an investigation into collusion between the largest German auto-manufacturers. In this post, the focus will be on the details of the investigation, as far as we can know at this very early stage, and then on contextualising that against the larger picture for auto-manufacturers. Ultimately, although operating in opposition to the supposed ideals of the marketplace i.e. private and independent business, the reality of the situation is that in this particular industry collusion is rife, and arguably necessary – depending upon one’s position. The EC raided BMW’s Munich offices last week in the latest development of an investigation into collusion between the largest German auto-manufacturers. The investigation, which began earlier this year, is based upon the allegations that ‘ Volkswagen, Audi, BMW, and Daimler has for year...

This week in the world of business has been dominated by massive trade deals and bitter trade disputes, with this post suggesting that a link between the two is that the outcome of these developments portrays a vision for those British voters who voted to leave the E.U. of what post-Brexit Britain will look like. In what is proving to be a great advert for the E.U. and its members not following the path of the British (a message sharply delivered by the French and German electorate this year, despite the rise of the AfD ), the plight of Canadian company Bombardier is, for a variety of reasons, bringing the reality home to the British in a remarkable way. In this post then the focus will be on the ongoing trade dispute between Bombardier and Boeing, which is quickly elevating into a political catastrophe, and the merger of French company Alstom with its German Counterpart Siemens (leaving Bombardier in the cold), which in itself demonstrates the capability that exists within a co...

Today’s post takes a look at the forthcoming trip of Britain’s International Trade Secretary, Liam Fox, to the United States to begin talks about a possible trade deal between the two countries. In the media on both sides of the Atlantic, but particularly in the U.K., there is a real concern about the effects that such a trade deal could generate, with an imbalance between British and American corporations being top of that agenda. So, in this post, we will assess these claims and examine whether a trade deal is being pursued for the right reasons, or whether the pre-Brexit environment is already becoming illustrative of life outside of the European Union for the British. Speaking in July, President Trump said he expects a ‘powerful’ trade deal to be conducted with the U.K. ‘ very quickly ’, and it is on the back of these statements that Liam Fox has travelled to Washington, D.C. The talks themselves, which the head of the TUC – Frances O’Grady - suggests is a ‘ PR stunt ’ for F...