London financial firm Ebury in FCA-mandated regulatory probe November 3, 2022 A celebrated London fintech has been forced to open itself up to an investigation into its anti money-laundering controls, City A.M. understands. Victoria-HQed Ebury, which is majority owned by Santander and was valued at around £600m at the time the Spanish giant bought in, is the subject of a ‘Section 166’ order by the Financial [...]
Simpson’s Tavern: Crowdfunder raises nearly £20K in less than 24 hours November 2, 2022 A crowdfunding campaign to save Simpson’s Tavern has raised almost £20,000 in just 24 hours since it began in earnest. Simpson’s, which has sat off Cornhill since 1757 and become a City institution, has been served a winding up petition as a result of rent arrears accrued during the pandemic. Whilst many landlords have chosen [...]
Sunak’s Cop-27 attendance is a facile row that sums up too much of our politics November 2, 2022 Little could more perfectly sum up the facile nature of our energy and climate debate – and indeed often our politics – than the confected row about whether or not Rishi Sunak attends Cop-27 in Egypt this month. Does anyone, honestly, believe that the Prime Minister’s attendance is going to make one iota of difference [...]
The City is a green machine but ESG claims must be scrutinised properly November 2, 2022 Greenwashing, virtue-signalling and corporate guff are setting back the City’s environmental agenda Is it pro-bird? Is it anti-plane? Or is it just a bubble? That’s the question that many in the City have been asking themselves over the past few months about those three little words: environmental, social, and governance. The rise of ESG was [...]
Simpson’s Tavern closes: Campaign launched to save City institution after landlord changes the locks November 1, 2022 Simpson’s Tavern has stood two hundred yards from the Royal Exchange since 1757 – but rent arrears as a result of the pandemic look set to see the historic Square Mile institution closed for good. The doors were locked last month by the landlord, a Bermudan operation called Tavor Holdings, who was demanding back payment [...]
Call-in powers would be a grave threat to the regulator’s vital independence October 31, 2022 Politicians should be wary of the damage they could do to our regulators’ reputation for independence if they move forward with call-in powers Independence is a funny old thing. At a national level, it can be won and lost in the blink of an eye. At more prosaic levels, building up independence – and a [...]
Libor trader Tom Hayes: I’ll keep fighting to clear my name in UK after US throws out charges October 31, 2022 The former banker who spent five years inside for ‘rigging’ Libor rates has told City A.M. he feels he owes it to other convicted traders to keep fighting to clear his name. Tom Hayes, who worked at UBS, was one of a number of traders sentenced for a cumulative total of almost 50 years for [...]
London’s businesses need more affordable housing for their young staff October 31, 2022 Few of Britain’s problems could not be solved by putting shovels into the ground. Nowhere is that more true than when it comes to housing – a shortage that could, if left unchecked, become a brake on the entire country’s economic growth. On our front page today we report on a potential fall in London [...]
Mayor meets with neurodiversity campaigners in bid to make capital world-leader October 29, 2022 London Mayor Sadiq Khan has met with leaders of a campaign to encourage more neurodiversity in the business world. The term is a relatively new one but encompasses individuals with conditions including autism, ADHD, dyslexia and dyspraxia amongst others. Dan Harris, the CEO of Neurodiversity in Business (NiB), told City A.M. that whilst individuals “may [...]
Shell backlash shows no profit is safe in windfall tax-crazed Britain October 27, 2022 Another windfall tax after Shell profits? Britain is at risk of becoming uninvestable Pity the folks in Shell’s communications department, who must be tempted to wear bullet-proof armour whenever they send out a trading update. Yesterday’s numbers were impressive, as you’d expect when energy prices are inflated. They also avoided paying any of Rishi Sunak’s [...]
