By: Mauricio Alencar

Politics and Economics Reporter Maurício Alencar is City AM’s Politics and Economics Reporter. He covers the state's relationship with the City of London and UK business, jumping between Westminster and the Square Mile. He picks up all stories on 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 decision-makers. He used to cover sports, foreign news and home news at various publications – plus investigations, which he plans to continue to pursue.

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Boost for Rachel Reeves as UK economy booms in first quarter

May 15, 2025

The UK economy surged by 0.7 per cent in the first three months of the year, official data has shown, suggesting firms boosted production ahead of Rachel Reeves’s tax rises in April and the threat of President Donald Trump’s tariffs. Fresh data provided by the Office for National Statistics showed that the UK economy grew [...]
‘Investment magnet’ financial services injected £281bn in UK economy

May 15, 2025

Financial services injected £281bn into the UK economy and accounted for around 2.5m jobs, according to a new industry-led report. The sector, which is an essential component of business in the Square Mile and manages trillions of pounds in assets, has had to steer through several rocky years of Brexit negotiations, a pandemic and tariff [...]
UK dismisses Chinese concerns on trade

May 14, 2025

The UK government has rejected Chinese criticism of its newly-inked US trade deal, in an effort to allay worries that ties between the world’s second largest economy and Britain would deteriorate. Labour have said that China’s economy was not being intentionally “undermined” in the deal, which saw tariffs on steel fall to zero per cent [...]
Small businesses ‘held back’ by £112bn of late payments

May 14, 2025

Small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) are owed some £112bn in late payments, new research has suggested, with buyers “holding back” UK growth. Nearly 5.5m companies with fewer than 250 employees and modest revenues are seen as the “backbone” of the UK economy and key to unlocking growth. But new research by the Centre for Economics [...]
UK research fund suffering from Labour’s lack of strategy, watchdog says

May 14, 2025

The government should give the UK’s largest single public fund for scientific and technological research more deadlines and clearer targets in order for projects to succeed, an independent watchdog has said. The National Audit Office (NAO) said the government should better communicate its policy priorities to UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), which has a budget [...]
Defence secretary tells City sector is ‘open for business’

May 13, 2025

Defence secretary John Healey has unveiled plans to open a “marketplace” that will allow suppliers from different areas of the economy to support defence firms, telling an audience at the London Stock Exchange that “UK defence is open for business.” Healey announced the new scheme linking up the defence sector with companies in software, data [...]
Immigration reforms won’t solve labour shortages, businesses warn

May 13, 2025

Government plans to draw back immigration levels and tighten criteria for visas will put efforts to fill labour shortages at risk, with leading industry groups urging Keir Starmer to fast-track apprenticeship reforms. The immigration white paper, which was published on Monday, set out plans to end specific care worker visas, strengthen the skills criteria needed [...]
Employment levels slump as Reeves’ taxes bite

May 13, 2025

Employment levels deteriorated in March, official data has suggested, in signs that Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ £20bn tax raid on employers has squeezed firms’ profits. Figures released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) revealed that the number of payrolled employees fell by 53,000 over the first three months of the year. The early estimate of [...]
Scottish Widows abandons Mansion House pension funds agreement

May 13, 2025

One of the UK’s largest pension funds has ditched a key agreement seen as crucial to Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ push to drive growth. Scottish Widows has not signed up to the second iteration of the Mansion House Compact, despite having thrown its weight behind an earlier version of the plans. The original pact saw 11 [...]
Interest rates may stay higher for longer says Bank of England

May 12, 2025

Several members on the Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee have warned that sticky inflation could stall further interest rate cuts this year in marked contrast to current analyst expectations. Bank policymakers voted to lower interest rates to 4.25 per cent last week. Two MPC members voted for a 50 basis point cut, and another couple [...]

The Magnificent 7 in 2025 – and the survival of the richest

Reading owner Rob Couhig considers selling training ground to raise funds

Food trends 2026: What Londoners will eat in the new year

By: Mauricio Alencar

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