By: Maurício Alencar

Politics and Economics Reporter Maurício Alencar is City AM’s Economics and City Reporter. He covers UK economics data ranging from inflation to immigration, as well as the Bank of England, the Treasury, business surveys, and all stories important or interesting to the City of London. He used to cover foreign news and sports at various publications – plus investigations, which he plans to continue to pursue.

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Arm boss says lack of risk appetite ‘holding UK back’

February 2, 2026

The chief executive of British semiconductor company Arm has said the UK’s lack of risk appetite is holding businesses back. Speaking on the Master Investor Podcast with Wilfred Frost, Rene Hass, who leads the Nasdaq-listed firm Arm holdings, said startups in the UK struggled to grow because of scale opportunities in the UK arising from [...]
Bank of England set to hold interest rates

January 31, 2026

The Bank of England is expected to hold interest rates at 3.75 per cent next week as policymakers continue to battle against sticky inflation. At the monetary policy committee (MPC)’s first meeting of the year, the Bank is expected to suggest it is too early to cut rates due to the lack of available data [...]
Starmer looks to woo Japanese investors amid Asia trip backlash

January 31, 2026

Keir Starmer said he would hold discussions with investors and business owners in Japan after landing in Tokyo, with the Prime Minister hoping to defy critics of his recent trip to China with new deals to boost the UK economy. Speaking on a plane from Shanghai to Tokyo, Starmer said discussions with Prime Minister Sanae [...]
Betfred brothers, Alex Gerko, Mike Ashley: Top UK taxpayers revealed

January 31, 2026

Betting entrepreneurs Peter Done and Denise Coates, traders Alex Gerko and Chris Rokos, and high street kingpins Tim Martin and Mike Ashley are among the top taxpayers in the UK, new analysis has revealed. Betfred founders Fred and Peter Done paid the most cash into HMRC over the past year, according to The Sunday Times’ [...]
Business confidence drops in blow to Labour

January 30, 2026

Business confidence fell again at the start of the year, according to a tracker frequently cited by Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves, dealing a blow to the government in its hopes of boosting the UK economy before difficult elections in May. Starmer and Reeves have frequently pointed to the Lloyds Bank business barometer when speaking [...]
‘No comment’: City firms on Starmer China trip keep schtum

January 29, 2026

When Sir Keir Starmer boarded a British Airways flight to Beijing earlier this week, he brought with him a coterie of leaders from British industry to help fly the flag. More than 50 delegates were invited on the PM’s trip, many from top City institutions such as law firm Clifford Chance and accounting giant PwC. [...]
Starmer: Businesses ‘cry out’ for more trade with China

January 29, 2026

Keir Starmer has said businesses are “crying out for ways” to export to Chinese markets as he struck a new deal for British travellers. After meeting President Xi Jinping in China, Starmer defended his government’s ambitions to boost relations with the world’s second largest economy despite questions over security threats posed by state-backed spies and [...]
‘Woke’ banknotes: Bank of England orders money printer to follow ESG rules

January 29, 2026

The Bank of England is facing backlash over its plans to make a new banknote printer comply with ESG and diversity standards under a “pass or fail” regime. Bank officials have attracted criticism from shadow business secretary Andrew Griffith over their plans to make applicants for the UK’s new money printing contract follow stringent criteria [...]
Exclusive: Starmer’s opponents receive largest donations in parliament

January 29, 2026

Keir Starmer’s fiercest opponents have received the largest sums of cash donations since the General Election, City AM analysis has shown, as moves to weaken the Labour leader’s dominance in Westminster attract financial backing. The Prime Minister has faced intense criticism from all sides of the House of Commons in his first year and a [...]
Lib Dems: Starmer has gone ‘cap in hand’ to China despite spy threats

January 28, 2026

Keir Starmer has been accused of going “cap in hand” to China, piling further criticism on the government’s trade ambitions with a country that has backed hacking operations against the UK. Liberal Democrats deputy leader Daisy Cooper demanded deputy prime minister David Lammy, who stood in for Starmer at PMQs, to name a “single consequence” [...]

Reform UK donations sting ‘looks bad,’ admits Farage

Women’s rugby can teach the men’s game exactly what it needs right now

Electra/Persona at the National Theatre review: A dull mash-up of Sophocles and Bergman

By: Maurício Alencar

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