Metro Bank handed capital boost from banking watchdog December 19, 2025 High street lender Metro Bank is set for a major capital boost after a reclassification from the banking watchdog. The FTSE 250 firm said on Friday it has received confirmation from the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) that it would be listed as a transfer firm under the newly introduced MREL regime from 2026. Introduced in [...]
Budget uncertainty dampens November spending December 19, 2025 Black Friday discounts failed to significantly boost consumer spending in November, as Budget uncertainty kept shoppers away from the high street. Sales declined 0.1 per cent last month, following a 0.9 per cent fall in October, as households opted to hold off spending in the run up to Christmas and wait to see the outcome [...]
UK government borrowing overshoots expectations in November December 19, 2025 UK government borrowing exceeded expectations in November but still fell year-on-year after tax receipts surged following Rachel Reeves’ first Autumn Budget. The latest release from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed public sector borrowing topped £11.7bn in November. City economists expected government borrowing to come in at £10.2bn over the month. Despite this, the [...]
Exclusive: Google makes fresh $1bn cash injection into UK data centre subsidiary December 18, 2025 Google has poured $1bn into its UK data centre subsidiary, City AM can reveal, in the clearest sign yet that the tech giant is eyeing major expansion of its compute power in Britain. The £775m cash injection was this week filed to Companies House for the same company which controls Google’s Waltham Cross data centre, [...]
‘Chance of 2026 recession’ despite interest rate cut – follow live December 18, 2025 Welcome back to the City AM liveblog. The Bank of England has handed Chancellor Rachel Reeves and the Labour government a highly-desired Christmas present today. The central bank confirmed a chop to interest rates falling to 3.75 per cent – the lowest in nearly three years. It comes after inflation undershot expectations on Wednesday providing [...]
Britain is ‘too pessimistic’ to succeed December 18, 2025 Britain is in the grips of an overly pessimistic mindset that is preventing it from taking the risks and making the reforms needed to reawaken its economy, the former chair of Deutsche Bank has said. Dr Paul Achleitner said that while structural issues were largely behind the paucity of growth across Europe and the UK, [...]
Brits’ disposable income shrinks in disappointing Golden Quarter December 18, 2025 Brits feel far poorer now than they did at the start of 2025, with even high-income households downbeat about their financial prospects. In January, people were four per cent more likely to say their pay had gone up rather than down, but Brits are now seven per cent more likely to have seen their pay [...]
Business rates overhaul to hit Square Mile hotels as row continues December 18, 2025 Hotels in the Square Mile are set to be among the hardest-hit by the property revaluations which have sparked a clash between the hospitality sector and the government. The business rates overhaul, introduced in the November Budget, will see the property values that determine this tax more than double across leading hotels in the City [...]
For Starmer, things can only get worse December 18, 2025 It’s been a bad year for Starmer, characterised by scandals, economic woes and plummeting poll ratings – and it looks 2026 is going to be no better, says Tom Harwood As we all enjoy late December’s time honoured if questionable traditions of frantic Christmas shopping, parties and hangovers – please spare a thought for one [...]
Treasury mocked for £100k financial services ‘leadership’ role December 17, 2025 The Treasury is searching for a Director for Financial Services to take on an “exciting and challenging leadership role” within the heart of the British economy, for a £100k salary. According to the job posting, the successful candidate would be tasked with “advising the Chancellor and Economic Secretary on financial services policy, taking account of [...]