Ex-head of British Army to lead Santander’s defence lending October 6, 2025 The former head of the British Army is set to lead Santander’s bid to bolster its defence lending as the industry experiences soaring demand with nations upping spending. General Sir Patrick Sanders was the chief of the general staff from 2022 to 2024 in the British Army and is set to join the Spanish-headquartered bank [...]
Construction sector hit by waning activity ahead of Budget October 6, 2025 Business activity expectations in the construction industry have fallen to the lowest since the end of 2022 as companies remained glum on future outlook ahead of the Autumn Budget. The latest Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) from S&P Global showed construction output showed the industry hit its highest level for three months at 46.2 – though [...]
Economists ask Labour to prioritise planning reform and cut tax to boost growth October 6, 2025 A survey of economists and policy experts has put pressure on Labour to “spend political capital” on planning reform to encourage more home building and on reforming the welfare system, reflecting the urgency of the government’s mission to grow the economy. A centre-left think tank focused on growth policy, the Centre for British Progress, has [...]
Rachel Reeves mulls bank tax amid scramble to fill fiscal hole October 6, 2025 Rachel Reeves is reported to be weighing up a tax on Britain’s banking giants as the Treasury looks to strum up cash in the forthcoming Autumn Budget. The Chancellor is expected to be staring down a fiscal blackhole of over £20bn come November 26 and banks have been viewed as an easy – and politically [...]
FTSE 100 Live: Shawbrook confirms IPO; Aston Martin hit by tariffs October 6, 2025 Good morning from the City AM liveblog team. After a worryingly-long drought, the London IPO market roared back to life this morning following a shot in the arm last week. Shawbrook has kicked off the week putting the City on the front foot after confirming intentions of a float. It’s a major boost, one that [...]
Reeves and Goldman chief to pitch London to IPO candidates October 5, 2025 Chancellor Rachel Reeves will pitch to London Stock Exchange flotation candidates alongside one of the City’s top bankers, in her bid to revive interest in the struggling UK market. First reported by Sky News, Reeves and Lucy Rugby, the newly appointed City minister, will host a group of company bosses on Monday to discuss “the [...]
Jaguar Land Rover to bailout suppliers after state ‘rescue’ stalls October 5, 2025 Jaguar Land Rover is finalising a deal to lend its suppliers millions of pounds as the tax-payer backed rescue of the carmaker hit a wall. Bosses are putting the final touches to a sweeping lifeline that would see up to £500m be injected into its supply chain, which is at a standstill. The privately funded [...]
Rachel Reeves mulls hiring ‘outsider’ for banking watchdog role October 4, 2025 Chancellor Rachel Reeves is looking to hire a City heavyweight to succeed Sam Woods as the chief executive of the main banking watchdog once his term ends in the middle of next year, it has been reported. Sam Woods’ term as chief executive of the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA), the watchdog which is part of [...]
IPO woes: Can LED face masks and tinned tuna IPOs revitalise London? October 4, 2025 The City heaved a sigh of relief on Friday morning, as two companies ploughed ahead with their plans to list on the London market, signalling that an IPO drought that has long plagued the London bourse may soon come to an end. The Beauty Tech Group announced the successful pricing of its initial public offering [...]
Frasers Group chairman urges Unite to avoid ‘reckless’ strike October 3, 2025 The chairman of retail giant Frasers Group has urged Unite the Union to avoid “reckless and irresponsible” strike action as retail firms across the UK feel the crunch of rising cost pressures. Sir Jonathan Thompson, who took the role of Chair in September, has asked the Union’s General Secretary Sharon Graham to reconsider plans to [...]