City of London approves Barbican Centre regeneration ahead of 50th anniversary December 6, 2024 A £191m funding package has been approved to repair and upgrade the Barbican, the City of London’s flagship cultural and performing arts centre. The City of London Corporation approved the package yesterday, and construction on the Barbican Centre will begin in 2027. The package will fund 80 per cent of the first phase of the [...]
Former City minister quits Westminster group over scathing FCA report December 4, 2024 The former City minister John Glen has quit a cross-parliamentary group on fairer finance after it released an incendiary report on the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) accusing it of “incompetence”. In a letter to the Financial Times, Glen, who served as City minister between 2018 and 2022, said he was “dismayed” by the report and [...]
French turmoil could be a boost for the City of London, says top lawyer December 3, 2024 Political turmoil in France and geopolitical tensions between China and the US are showcasing the UK’s status as an “independent financial centre” and destination for international IPOs, a leading capital markets figure has suggested. Mark Austin, a lawyer at Latham & Watkins who has masterminded many of the City’s reform efforts over the past two [...]
Starmer vows to put Ukraine ‘in strongest possible position for negotiations’ with Russia December 2, 2024 The Prime Minister will say that Ukraine must be put in the “strongest possible position for negotiations” with Russia, addressing the possibility of a negotiated settlement for the first time. Speaking at the Lord Mayor’s Banquet, Sir Keir Starmer will tell attendees at the white tie Guildhall dinner that the eastern European nation must be [...]
Ministers must act to slow London Stock Exchange investor ‘exodus’, says Peel Hunt chief December 2, 2024 Ministers must do more to stop the “exodus” of cash from the London Stock exchange after 41 consecutive months of outflows from UK equity funds, the boss of Peel Hunt has warned. In an interview with City AM, Steven Fine, who heads the AIM-listed broking house, said the speed of money leaving the market was [...]
The service sector is not to blame for Britain’s industrial decline November 28, 2024 With the government’s new industrial strategy set to be published next spring, there’s a real risk that nostalgia for our manufacturing past gets in the way of the sectors that really drive growth, says Sam Bidwell Political conversations about the British economy are often dominated by one depressing fact – nobody seems ready to celebrate [...]
Damning FCA report ‘risks undermining’ London as a financial centre November 26, 2024 Criticism of the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is continuing to mount as a group of parliamentarians prepares to lay out a stinging report claiming the watchdog is “defective” and “incompetent”. In a more than 350-page report compiled over three years, set to be presented to parliament, the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Investment Fraud and Fairer [...]
Bevis Marks: Rayner could block skyscraper amid historic synagogue fears November 26, 2024 Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner could intervene in the planning bid for a City of London skyscraper amid a long-running row with an historic synagogue in its shadow. Her warning came as part of the latest instalment of a long-running planning saga over a proposed 43-storey tower at 31 Bury Street. The skyscraper, it is claimed, [...]
The City is a gateway to Gulf investment in the UK November 25, 2024 The Gulf is Britain’s fourth biggest trading partner and the City is supporting efforts to strengthen this vital relationship, says Alastair King It was reported last week that the Prime Minister will soon visit Saudia Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, to strengthen economic ties and attract investment, while also discussing how we can achieve [...]
How London can reclaim its spot as a global shipping capital November 21, 2024 London was once a global leader in maritime and shipping, it still has unique advantages that can propel it back to number one, says Adrian Beciri The vibrant activity in the City of London and Canary Wharf, now bustling post-Covid, serve as a powerful reminder of London’s historic and ongoing prowess in financial and professional [...]