Supermarkets blindsided by ‘shambolic’ stockpiling warning Retail Supermarkets have been caught off guard by the government’s “shambolic” campaign to urge Brits to stock up on supplies of food and water, industry sources told City AM. Retailers were not told the details of the government’s “Be Ready” campaign until days before it was announced and expected it to be a more “low key” [...]
Thames Water could tap Labour peer as chair if rescue deal goes ahead Water Thames Water will appoint a Labour peer to become its new chair if a rescue deal goes ahead, a group of its creditors has said, as the embattled utility fights to stave off nationalisation. London & Valley Water, a consortium of investors and creditors to Thames Water which has submitted turnaround plans to keep the [...]
Mark Kleinman: Monzo deal needn’t be a hammer blow for UK tech Business Mark Kleinman is Sky News’ City editor and the man who gets the Square Mile talking in his City AM column. Monzo deal needn’t be a hammer blow for UK tech Monzo, Oaknorth, Revolut, Starling Bank – the queue of British fintech champions waiting to float in London is fast-disappearing. The latest to more-or-less evaporate? Monzo, if a [...]
Burnham to repeal Thatcher-era ban on public ownership of water companies September 29, 2026 The government will repeal a ban on public ownership of water companies as part of ten-year transformation of the privatised water sector, the Prime Minister has announced. Speaking at the Labour conference in Liverpool, Andy Burnham said the privatised water industry introduced under Margaret Thatcher had failed and his government would introduce a new water [...]
Burnham to pledge greater control of water and energy industries September 28, 2026 Andy Burnham will double down on plans to seize greater public control of the water, energy and transport industries tomorrow as he pledges to “break with the flawed thinking of the past 40 years”. In his first speech to Labour’s conference as Prime Minister, Burnham is expected to say Britain is currently “run for vested [...]
Nationalise Thames Water and block private rescue deal, MPs tell Burnham September 18, 2026 Andy Burnham and his government are facing increasing pressure to take control of Thames Water after a group of MPs warned a rescue deal led by its creditors should be rejected. A group of the stricken utility’s lenders, known as London & Valley Water, is vying to seize control of the company in a £10bn [...]
Ditch the ‘usual suspects’: Gov.uk founder urges Labour to look beyond Big Four consultants September 2, 2026 Labour has loudly pledged to slash taxpayer spending on external consultants. However, the founder of a City-based digital consultancy firm told City AM that the government still relies on private firms to plug operational gaps because the civil service previously “got rid of the wrong skills”. Ben Terrett, chief executive and founder of Public Digital, said the [...]
Burnham shelves Thames Water administration plans over costs August 25, 2026 Andy Burnham has paused plans to take public control of Thames Water over fears that it could saddle the taxpayer with a bill running into the billions of pounds. The Prime Minister had been considering putting the struggling utility into a special administration regime (SAR), which would allow the government to take partial control of [...]
Thames Water creditors eye board shake-up if takeover plan succeeds August 24, 2026 The group of creditors vying to take control of Thames Water has said it will appoint the former bosses of Yorkshire Water and BT Openreach to the utility’s board should it succeed in fending off nationalisation by the government. The London & Valley Water (L&VW) consortium, which includes heavyweight investors including Apollo and Elliott, has [...]
Mark Kleinman: Frasers’ touchiness shows importance of Harvey Nicks swoop for Ashley August 21, 2026 Mark Kleinman is Sky News’ City editor and the man who gets the Square Mile talking in his City AM column. Touched a raw nerve? Michael Murray, the chief executive of Frasers Group, was forthright in comments to City AM last month when it was put to him that some luxury brands had expressed concerns about Harvey Nichols [...]