2010 review: A year of living cautiously

The economy grew, rival political parties unexpectedly started working together and personal lines rates even hardened, although plenty of surprises and setbacks meant that 2010 was far from plain sailing, writes Andrew Tjaardstra.

The Jackson Report kicked off the year with the call for the ban of referral fees causing a harsh reaction from Paul Asplin, chief executive officer at DAS, who called Jackson's Review of civil litigation costs "muddled" and "contradictory".

Many insurers welcomed the proposals because it will take many costs out of the system for them. It remains to be seen what appetite the coalition has for introducing the measures; the government is waiting for the Legal Services Board to make a decision