Value of UK passport declines sharply under Labour Wealth The once-coveted British passport has tumbled in value since Rachel Reeves’ “wealth tax” Budget, according to a new report. In the latest Passport Index, put together by financial advisory firm Nomad Capitalist, the UK’s iconic blue travel document has slipped from 21st place in the previous list down to 35th out of 199 countries. This [...]
Billionaire Labour backer says ‘business unfriendly’ Budget hit growth Business A billionaire backer of the Labour party has said the government’s “business unfriendly” policies have hit economic growth following another bleak release of data. John Caudwell, the founder of Phones 4u, said Labour “really need to change the tune of what they’re doing” to kickstart growth and appeal to businesses. It follows the latest release [...]
Overseas ownership of UK property nosedives Property The number of UK properties owned by overseas investors has fallen dramatically since 2015 as the impact of Brexit and increased regulation dampen appetite. While the value of property assets held by overseas companies is at an all-time high – jumping 40 per cent, or £38.5bn, in three years – the volume of purchases has [...]
Autumn Budget Live: Wealthy, landlords and pensions hit in £26bn tax raid November 26, 2025 Welcome back to the City AM liveblog. In a shocking turn of events the UK fiscal watchdog has accidentally released the economic forecasts – intended to be published after the Budget – before the Chancellor even took to the despatch box. Rachel Reeves has raised taxes by £26bn in her second Budget, which follows on [...]
Steel mogul Lakshmi Mittal leaves UK for Switzerland and Dubai November 23, 2025 Lakshmi Mittal, the steel mogul who was one of Britain’s richest people, has now left the country and become a resident in Switzerland for tax purposes, it has been reported. Mittal has long been one of the billionaires rumoured to be leaving the UK in response to Rachel Reeves’ tax plans. In March this year, [...]
Nearly half UK fintech founders consider shifting business overseas November 17, 2025 Rachel Reeves’ mission to garner favour with the fintech industry has faltered with founders blasting the government’s approach to the sector as they weigh a move overseas. The Chancellor has attempted to ramp up the UK’s status as a competitive hub in the global fintech ecosystem, but founders have said they are yet to feel [...]
Could this be the clearest sign yet that the rich are leaving Britain? October 30, 2025 It’s hard to know quite how many of the super-rich are leaving London. Some say departure numbers are well into four figures so far this year – others that the estimates are overstated. We can’t get a precise number, but one thing is for sure: it’s happening. The anecdotal evidence of high net worth folk [...]
HSBC UK beefs up wealth arm with ‘generational’ bet September 26, 2025 HSBC UK is making a “generational” play to beef up its wealth arm as the banking juggernaut eyes global dominance in the field. The FTSE 100 titan will launch a new Wealth Academy this autumn, the bank’s managing director of wealth Christopher Dean told City AM, in partnership with the London Business School. The bank’s [...]
Rachel Reeves told to ‘get out of the way’ ahead of Autumn Budget August 13, 2025 Chancellor Rachel Reeves has been told to “let businesses get on with it and get out of the way” ahead of delivering her second Autumn Budget in the coming months. A group of 1,500 private business leaders surveyed by KPMG said the Chancellor should focus on promoting higher wages and lower costs for companies. They [...]
Brits are gloomy – and not just about the weather August 5, 2025 Writers often agonise over how a column performs. I can see how many people read the online version of the Editor’s Letter and while our analytics don’t yet tell me what people make of my opinions they often spark a lively debate on LinkedIn. That can be satisfying, but that’s a self-selecting crowd of people [...]