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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Brexit scare stories are haunting the City

October 30, 2016

The cobwebs falling from the windows of pubs and shops in the City are much more likely to be Halloween decorations than an indication that businesses have abandoned the Square Mile in the wake of Brexit. Nevertheless, post-referendum scare stories hang thick in the air. Project Fear takes on a new meaning at this time [...]
Editor’s notes: Brexit has damaged economists, not the economy

October 28, 2016

A couple of years ago I interviewed Saatchi & Saatchi’s global CEO, Robert Senior. As we discussed possible future advertising trends he said “my problem with futurologists is that they’re never held to account”. He meant that predictions of what life will be like in 100 years are very hard to hold up in front [...]
Brexit doesn’t mean the end of the City

October 24, 2016

Thirty years ago this week, the City of London underwent a transformation that would set it on a path to global dominance in financial services. The Big Bang, as it became known, was enabled by new technology, regulatory reform, political will and entrepreneurial endeavour. Over the ensuing three decades, the City came to represent the [...]
Editor’s diary: Threats to the City’s dominance come from home and abroad

October 21, 2016

This week one of our front page stories caused quite a stir in parliament. Wednesday's paper reported on the growing levels of unease in the City regarding the way in which some people in government view financial services and its place in upcoming Brexit negotiations. We quoted a number of senior sources, all of whom [...]
Financial services need attention, not favours

October 19, 2016

In the first episode of the Great British Bake Off one of the presenters, Sue Perkins, asks a contestant what he does for a living. “I work in the City as a client service associate,” came the reply, to which Perkins responded “basically a banker” before making a joke about the global financial crisis. Unfortunately, [...]
Theresa May is angering both Leavers and Remainers

October 17, 2016

Theresa May’s approach to Brexit has proved immensely frustrating to those who found themselves on the losing side of the referendum debate. This frustration, based at first on the idea that the government lacked any kind of plan, is turning into despair at the realisation that the PM does not intend to give any ground [...]
Editor’s diary: Adam Smith gets a rebrand for 21st century politics

October 14, 2016

We hear a lot about neoliberalism these days. More often than not it’s a phrase thrown around by pro-Corbyn activists as a form of insult that ranks alongside “Blairite”. Indeed, you’ll often hear the two phrases together. Owen Smith, who challenged Corbyn for the leadership on a policy platform of higher taxes, nationalisations and state expenditure [...]
MPs should debate Brexit, not frustrate it

October 13, 2016

Parliament is back in session after the theatre of the party conference season and there are plenty of meaty topics into which our legislators can sink their teeth. The Treasury Select Committee has been grilling HMT's top officials; Tory backbenchers have called for a new Royal Yacht Britannia; Boris Johnson has lambasted Russia over its actions [...]
Ire over immigration: Careless policy debates risk damaging Britain

October 10, 2016

Sometimes great damage can be caused by a government policy idea that doesn't end up seeing the light of day. Think back to 2013, when the Tory-LibDem coalition announced plans to introduce a visa bond. The idea would have seen arrivals from countries such as India or Nigeria paying a £3,000 bond as part of the [...]
Well, now we know what Mayism looks like

October 5, 2016

Come back George Osborne, all is forgiven. Yes, he may have ramped up the fear factor ahead of the referendum and yes, he may have missed his own targets and tinkered too often with the tax code but after Theresa May's speech yesterday there will be plenty in business who look back with affection on [...]

Reform UK tax cut pledge raises doubts

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By: Christian May

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