All articles by Richard Steer – Page 7
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CommentMy beef with the Budget
Richard Steer laments a speech that offers no real nourishment to the industry and, what is worse, shows the chancellor to be deaf to the demands of construction
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CommentConsultants: Little and large
From leviathans to boutique specialists, what will clients be looking for from the consultancy market in 2013?
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CommentLending is not just needed for residential
The coalition’s focus on housebuilding ignores the perilous state of the industry as a whole. All types of project need access to funding - fast
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CommentCabinet reshuffle: The pain game
Despite firms going bust, and young people being denied entry to the industry, the government is still posturing. It needs to act
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CommentIt’s housing, stupid
There’s no better way to breathe life into the economy than to build homes. Shame the government has lost all credibility on the sector’s biggest issues…
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CommentQuantity Surveyors: A must-have accessory
At long last, it looks like the humble quantity surveyor is being recognised in the global market and is on everyone’s shopping list, writes Richard Steer
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CommentSustainability: Nothing but 'faddy ideology' for the government?
Verbal faux pas are just one symptom of the coalition’s growing apathy towards the promotion of the green agenda in construction, says Richard Steer
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CommentThe Green Deal: Sustainability suspended
The government’s half-hearted approach to the Green Construction Board and now the Green Deal suggests a worrying lack of commitment to the eco agenda, says Richard Steer
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CommentThe economy: Bleak midwinter
Christmas is approaching, and not in a good way. In fact, says Richard Steer, it just reminds us of the wretched state of Europe’s finances and how we need China to come to our rescue
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CommentEC Harris: Bigger is not always better
Richard Steer, chairman of EC Harris rival Gleeds, says why the latest takeover is bad news for clients and the industry
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CommentEconomic crisis: The battle for Britain
The business secretary reckons we face a crisis that is the economic equivalent of war. Shame then that politicians have all but surrendered our future to the pluck of bankers
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CommentIt's all pants: Unreliable economic indicators
We keep being fed confusing, contradictory, even wrong industry figures - often based on something as haphazard as the sale of underwear. You may as well ask Mystic Meg
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CommentQS mergers: Wedding's off
Up-against-it QS firms are hooking up with other companies, looking for global reach and diversification. But now really isn’t the right time to get hitched
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CommentWe’re not a bunch of incompetents
UK managers have been in the firing line of late, but the Olympics will be a great opportunity to show off our skills - and building information modelling could help us do that
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CommentSteady as she goes
Things might - just might - be getting better for construction. But don’t get carried away - anything from raw materials inflation to spending cuts could knock us off course
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CommentWinning at Building Awards
The Gleeds chair says the firm has survived and strengthened through the recession
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CommentBusiness planning: home and away
How do you plan ahead and formulate business strategies amid all the uncertainty of political uprisings - and the upcoming Budget?
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CommentHold your nerve
When appearance is everything, taking work at any price becomes a tempting but risky solution. But signs of recovery suggest there’s no need to panic, says Richard Steer
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CommentGuess who came for dinner?
Richard Steer was tired of shouting at the business secretary every time he appeared on his TV screen, so instead he invited him over for a bit of a chat …
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CommentWhat’s going on?
The ’resurgence in construction activity’ is proving difficult to detect in the real world. And even if growth does take off, it’ll be a long time before we feel the benefit