By: Felix Armstrong

Felix Armstrong is a freelance journalist interning at City A.M. He is currently studying at the University of Cambridge, and has written for the Telegraph and the Times.

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Budget damage to housing market set to continue, experts warn

Property

The UK’s housing market will continue to suffer from the impact of months of budget speculation last year as seller confidence languishes, property experts have warned. While sellers and estate agents breathed a sigh of relief when November’s Budget steered clear of most of the property that had been feared, these experts told City AM [...]
Coffee and sugar drive surging food inflation

Economics

Sharp increases in the cost of coffee and sugar are behind the high rate of food inflation which is one of the drivers of the surprise inflation rise. The cost of food increased at a rate of 4.5 per cent in the year to December, overshooting the overall inflation rate of 3.4 per cent by [...]
Only pubs set to benefit from business rates U-turn as hoteliers barred

Business

Pubs will be the only businesses to benefit from the government’s business rates U-turn as other hospitality firms will be shut out from tax relief, Rachel Reeves has hinted. The Chancellor told reporters at Davos that pubs face a different situation to the rest of the sector, likely meaning hotels and other hospitality businesses will [...]

Next seals deal to acquire Russell & Bromley

January 21, 2026

High street giant Next has stepped in to buy shoe seller Russell & Bromley in the latest in a string of acquisitions by the FTSE 100 retail giant. The sale will see Next acquire the Russell & Bromley brand, and three of its stores in Chelsea, Mayfair and the Bluewater Shopping Centre, in exchange for [...]
Why are London’s house sellers losing money?

January 17, 2026

London’s housing market is known for offering vast mansions and leafy avenues to wealthy buyers from across the world. So why are more sellers in the capital suffering losses than anywhere in the country? It is London’s most affluent and sought-after locations where the profitability of home-selling is taking the biggest hit, with Chelsea and [...]
Top London five star hotel faces legal action from HMRC

January 15, 2026

One of London’s best-known five-star hotels is being taken to court by the UK’s tax authority over unpaid sums, City AM can reveal. Hotel Cafe Royal, a top-tier venue popular with the capital’s rich and famous, has been issued with a winding-up petition by HMRC, according to court filings seen by City AM. A winding-up petition [...]
Reeves confirms ‘temporary support’ for pubs amid row over misleading claims

January 14, 2026

Rachel Reeves has confirmed “temporary support” for pubs in a climbdown over the business rates row, as a chief tax official claimed the Treasury was warned about the damaging impact of tax reforms after ministers claimed they had been in the dark about the changes. The Chancellor confirmed on Wednesday that she will roll out [...]
Data centre planning applications rocketed more than 60 per cent in 2025

January 13, 2026

Data centre planning applications hit an all-time high in the UK in 2025, City AM can reveal, as investors rushed to gain a foothold in the burgeoning AI market. More than 60 separate planning applications for the construction of new data centres were filed in England and Wales over the course of the year, according [...]
Waterstones books Rothschild as IPO plans ramp up

January 7, 2026

The owner of Waterstones is preparing to appoint Rothschild to advise its multibillion-pound flotation later this year, offering the clearest sign yet that London could turn the page on a dire run of form if it edges out New York for the listing. Elliott Management, which owns Waterstones and its US sister Barnes & Noble, [...]
Christmas grocery shopping hits fresh high while Brits make budget trimmings

January 7, 2026

Brits splashed out on groceries in the run-up to Christmas but watched their budgets more than ever, as own-brand products and cut-price veg caught the eyes of shoppers. Festive grocery sales increased by 3.8 per cent on the previous year, as Brits spent a record £13.8bn on Christmas supermarket shops amid moderately easing retail inflation [...]

Jenrick’s defection was “a mistake”, senior Tory claims

Why transfer window could be a tax issue for footballers

What’s on in London in February 2026

By: Felix Armstrong

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