By: Christian May

Editor-in-Chief Christian May is the Editor-in-Chief of City AM. He served in the role from 2015 to 2020 and returned in 2024. He writes the daily Editor's Letter for print and online and releases The Week in Business roundup video each Thursday. He is particularly interested in the health of London's capital markets, economic policy, politics, regulation and business activity in the City of London. He regularly appears in the broadcast media and presents a daily Business News slot on LBC at 0730, Monday to Friday. Find Christian on X and LinkedIn.

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All 534 Articles

Growth is easier to destroy than to build

December 16, 2024

Missions, milestones, foundations and pledges; Keir Starmer has unveiled them all since winning the election in July, but no amount of visionary rhetoric can compel an economy to grow. Since Labour’s election victory the British economy has whimpered to a halt. GDP flatlined in July and achieved a barely perceptible nudge up in August before contracting [...]
The battle of ideas is more important than ever

December 11, 2024

One of the features of modern politics is just how reactionary it is; political leaders jump from issue to issue as the agenda dictates while the media (understandably) follows or leads this trend. For those who keep a close eye on politics it can therefore feel as if life is a series of tactical battles [...]
All hail Rayner, destroyer of NIMBYs

December 10, 2024

Since Christmas is a time for hope, it’s worth appreciating the good news when we see it. The business community’s frustrations with Labour are well documented and easy to understand, but even its fiercest critics tend to concede that one area stands out as a bright spot in an economic landscape marred by tax increases: [...]
No Christmas cheer for employers as 2024 draws to a close

December 9, 2024

There are plenty of reasons to be cheerful at this time of year, but the state of the economy isn’t one of them. As Christmas trees go up and celebrations get underway, there are worrying signs that large parts of corporate Britain are preparing to end the year in a state of nervousness and pessimism. [...]
Could Elon Musk and Nigel Farage upend British politics?

December 5, 2024

Labour’s majority is enormous, but it only gives us the appearance of stability. All the evidence suggests their support is broad but shallow and their victory was as much a question of good luck and good timing as it was a literal vote of support for Labour’s policies. The Tory party is basically neck and [...]
Starmer needs a rethink, not a relaunch

December 4, 2024

It doesn’t take a huge stretch of the imagination to picture a communist bureaucrat issuing a decree: “Comrades, I can announce today that four years from now 92 per cent of routine operations will be carried out within our new national target of just four and a half months – realising a goal that has [...]
The City needs to fall in love with risk again

December 3, 2024

Back in March, in a meeting room somewhere in the labyrinth of offices that makes up the Square Mile’s political headquarters at the Guildhall, the General Purposes Committee of Aldermen and the Communications and Corporate Affairs Sub Committee met to consider a report on a potential area of focus for a potential new Lord Mayor [...]
Business leaders brace for a cold winter

December 2, 2024

Temperatures are set to fall again as a mid-week cold snap muscles in, bringing icy winds to accompany the latest batch of chilling economic data. Several business organisations have just released their latest research, and the findings ought to chill the blood of complacent government ministers. Since the Budget, City AM has reported daily on [...]
Ministers are in denial over the Budget’s impact on jobs and growth

November 28, 2024

Well, that didn’t last long. Barely 48 hours after the Chancellor told the CBI conference that the tax-hiking Budget was definitely a one-off, Keir Starmer declined to echo her comments and instead left the door wide open to another round of tax increases and borrowing. We ought to have some sympathy; no Prime Minister can [...]
Critics circle under-fire watchdog

November 27, 2024

What unites firebrand socialist MPs and stalwarts of the Tory establishment? The answer – somewhat unbelievably – is the state of our main financial regulator. The Financial Conduct Authority is heading into a cold winter with storms swirling on all sides. It faces fury from parts of both the Square Mile and Westminster for hamstringing [...]

Business bosses told to check details after Companies House glitch

Arsenal: Leading the digital charge as well as the Premier League

Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival to drive millions into Scotch sector

By: Christian May

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