British consultants face slowdown as corporate spending slumps July 7, 2026 The British consulting industry is set to grow by a single digit this year as the sector faces a slowdown in spending from corporate clients. According to research from the Management Consultancies Association (MCA), the primary representative body for management consulting firms in the UK, the UK consulting sector’s predicted growth for 2026 stands at [...]
As it happened: FTSE 100 rises to defy tech gloom; oil creeps up on fresh Iran tensions July 7, 2026 Welcome back to the City AM liveblog. Donald Trump warned the US will “finish the job” in Iran leaving investors unnerved as he renewed military threats following the funeral of Tehran’s former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Brent crude – the international benchmark for oil – traded above $72 per barrel on the news, but [...]
Burnham’s encounter with political and economic reality will be brutal when it comes July 7, 2026 This is turning out to be a very strange summer indeed, and I’m not referring to the football. This week, a Prime Minister with no power will attend the NATO summit in Ankara and next week, a Chancellor with just days left in the job will tell a City crowd at the Mansion House banquet [...]
‘Too much tax, too much regulation’: Fintech chief sounds alarm on UK economy and IPO market July 7, 2026 The boss of one of the UK’s fastest-growing fintech unicorns has warned the country risks “putting founders off” with overregulation and heavy taxation as speculation rises that the Labour government could make a major lurch to the left. Paul Taylor, who founded banking software firm Thought Machine in 2014, told City AM he feared UK [...]
Brits say Burnham should call an election July 7, 2026 Sir Keir Starmer is set to leave Downing Street on 20 July and a majority of Brits believe Andy Burnham should call a snap election when he takes over. Nearly two thirds of voters (65 per cent) believe a new Prime Minister should call an immediate general election as opposed to 29 per cent who [...]
Government ‘mis-sold student loans’ to teenagers, MPs say July 7, 2026 A group of MPs have accused the government of knowingly mis-selling student loans for years to unsuspecting teenagers, after using adverts comparing repayments to mobile phone contracts and failing to properly inform them of certain conditions. The Department for Education (DfE) used a bundle of promotional materials comparing monthly student loans repayments to low-cost monthly items, [...]
Patent cliff fuels Novartis’ $1.5bn swoop for London biotech July 6, 2026 Swiss pharmaceutical giant Novartis has agreed to buy London-based biotech Myricx Bio for up to $1.5bn (£1.1bn) as global drugmakers continue deploying billions into promising biotech firms ahead of an estimated $450bn wave of patent expiries over the next decade. The deal will see Novartis pay $1.1bn upfront, with a further $400m tied to development [...]
Burnham told to launch £100bn tax reform package July 6, 2026 Andy Burnham has been urged to introduce sweeping tax reforms that could generate over £100bn in extra government revenue by a group of influential economists, which includes his own heavyweight adviser Jim O’Neill. A letter signed by O’Neill, who was formerly a Treasury minister and Goldman Sachs executive, urged the next Prime Minister to introduce [...]
‘In fine fettle’: Pall Mall’s RAC waiting list grows as posh club toasts profit boost July 6, 2026 The Royal Automobile Club has seen a rise in its waiting list as the posh Pall Mall private members’ club toasted a surge in profitability. The institution, which was founded in 1897 as a motoring club and later spawned the roadside assistance business RAC, saw its waiting list increase by 7 per cent in 2025 [...]
FCA eyes tougher AI rules as Brits turn to chatbots for financial advice July 6, 2026 The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has called for greater powers to regulate artificial intelligence after warning the UK’s financial rulebook must evolve to keep pace with the number of consumers turning to chatbots for advice on their money. In a new review published on Monday, the watchdog said AI will become “a defining force” in [...]