What does new City minister Rachel Blake have in store for the Square Mile? Politics The Westminster drama has hit the City in more ways than one. After Wes Streeting’s resignation triggered a mini-reshuffle, Felix Armstrong and Samuel Norman take a look at what the new City minister might have in store. In just under two years, the City has its fourth minister. Tulip Siddiq resigned in January 2025 after [...]
‘Twenty years of caution’: Banking industry ramps up efforts to fix ‘anaemic’ UK growth Banking The UK’s industry body for banking has stepped up its lobbying efforts for the government to improve “anaemic” growth figures and bolster the financial services sector. A new report published by UK Finance – the body representing around 300 firms that provide UK banking services – has issued a nine-point plan, which calls for “clear [...]
Government launches Britain’s largest ever retail investing campaign Investing The government has unveiled its industry-backed push to encourage households to plough their savings into the stock market, in what is set to be the largest retail investing campaign of its kind in Britain’s history. Starring a red squirrel called ‘Savvy’, the Invest for the Future campaign will seek to “drive a step change in [...]
Inside the fintech industry’s pensions gambit April 22, 2026 The fintech industry are on the offensive and in this week’s column Samuel Norman gives an insight into the sector’s lobbying calls for pension fund allocation. London has found itself brought to a halt this week. One may have thought the Tube strikes would bring Square Mile to a standstill, too. But the lack of [...]
City minister: Tax regime ‘sends a message’ to fintech IPO prospects April 21, 2026 The City minister has said the tax regime “matters” for how the UK can strengthen capital markets as part of its bid to lock down the next cohort of listing candidates. Lucy Rigby, economic secretary to the Treasury, said the government was looking to build on the “historical success of our capital market” as it [...]
Exclusive: Treasury and regulator to hold crunch talks with UK fintech unicorns April 16, 2026 Top fintech bosses will lock horns with Treasury and watchdog officials next week as the industry lobbies for key regulatory reforms, City AM can reveal. Several of the nation’s fastest-growing companies are set to meet City Minister Lucy Rigby on Tuesday as part of a flurry of key summits in UK fintech week. The City [...]
The UK’s risk aversion culture is holding back investment April 9, 2026 The UK perception of investment risk is holding back a wave of capital into equities as Brits continue to view the stock market as a casino and squirrel their savings away in the safety of cash. The UK investment sector has become plagued by the widespread, standardised use of risk warnings, which instead of telling [...]
Schroders signs deal with leading Chinese battery maker January 30, 2026 Leading asset management firm Schroders has signed a deal with a Chinese battery making giant, amid chief executive Richard Oldfield’s trip to China, led by prime minister Keir Starmer. The group’s Schroders Greencoat business, which invests in renewable energy infrastructure, signed the deal with Contemporary Amperex Techology (CATL) and Hong Kong based private equity firm [...]
Starmer warned on ‘severe’ risk of trading with China January 28, 2026 Keir Starmer has been warned about the “severe” risk of trading with China as he said building economic relations with the world’s second largest economy would drive growth. The Prime Minister landed in Beijing on Wednesday for meetings with Chinese officials including President Xi Jinping in the coming days. He has been joined by City [...]
London’s future will be determined by choices, not rhetoric January 5, 2026 2026 will be the year the City moves from post-Brexit design to delivery, says Chris Hayward As the new year begins, London’s position as a leading global financial centre is often framed in binary terms: rise or decline. That is no bad thing. Competition sharpens performance, and financial centres that assume their leading position rarely [...]