By: Samuel Norman

City Reporter Samuel is a City Reporter for City AM covering banking, fintech and more across the City. He is a gold-standard NCTJ qualified journalist who's previously worked at the Daily Mail and Sky News. He can be contacted at samuel.norman@cityam.com and posts at x.com/samnormanwrites.

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Greg Jackson spins off Octopus’ tech arm Kraken after $1bn injection

Investing

Octopus Energy Group has spun off its technology arm, Kraken, following its first standalone investment round. The fresh funding round for Kraken was led by global investment giant D1 Capital Partners, with new investors including Fidelity International, Durable Capital Partners and Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan Board. Kraken – which is an AI-powered platform now contracted [...]
UK consumers cut spending amid wider economic nerves

Economics

UK consumers’ debit and credit card spending slumped in 2025 for the first time since the Covid-19 pandemic as wider economic nerves knocked confidence. Card spending fell 0.2 per cent in the last 12 months, according to Barclays, a sharp contrast to the 1.6 per cent growth recorded in 2024. Just a quarter of British [...]
Financial services to plough cash into UK defence in 2026

Banking

Financial services are planning to pump cash into the UK’s defence sector next year after facing pressure to ramp up investment amid increased geopolitical tensions. Nearly two-thirds of financial services leaders expect the sector to increase investment in UK defence in 2026, with more than a quarter anticipating that investment will rise “much more” over [...]

Motor finance: What’s next for banks and consumers in 2026?

December 29, 2025

The City watchdog wrapped up the consultation on its motor finance redress in December but the two-year long scandal threatens to rumble on into the new year. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) pushed the deadline for feedback on its scheme to 12 December after it was originally pencilled in for 18 November. The delay came [...]
Center Parcs: UK pension funds in talks for stake in holiday giant

December 27, 2025

A number of Britain’s biggest public sector pension schemes are understood to be eyeing a stake in the holiday giant Center Parcs after the Treasury ramped up its efforts for funds to invest in UK-based assets. The Greater Manchester Pension Fund (GMPF), the London-based Local Pension Partnership (LPPI) and the Edinburgh-based Lothian Pension Scheme are [...]
Starmer’s future hinges on May election reckoning, polling expert says

December 27, 2025

The future of Sir Keir Starmer’s premiership hinges on the forthcoming May elections where the Labour party is expected to take a bruising, a polling expert has said. Conservative peer Lord Robert Hayward said: “A few months ago it looked as if May 7 would be decisive for the leaderships of both Labour and Conservatives. [...]
The Italy holiday taking in amazing skiing and a lesser-visited city

December 27, 2025

THE WEEKEND South Tyrol offers the ideal low-key winter getaway. Nestled amidst the visually spectacular Dolomites, the destination offers a unique blend of cultures. In the low-lying towns, traditional Italian arcades meet onion-domed church towers reminiscent of Bavaria (both German and Italian are spoken here and the culture blends elements of both countries). After a [...]
Regulators show their teeth – financial services fines in 2025

December 24, 2025

UK watchdogs sharpened their sword in 2025 and slapped a handful of financial services firms with hefty fines and a thorough dressing down. In just under a week alone in July, the Financial Conduct Authority and Bank of England handed out £74.9m worth of fines to a trio of financial services giants. But it was [...]
Labour U-turns on inheritance tax raid after year of farmer protests

December 23, 2025

The Labour government will raise the inheritance tax relief threshold for farms in another dramatic U-turn following a year of backlash from rural communities. On Tuesday, the Treasury and Department for Food and Rural Affairs said it would increase the Agricultural and Business Property Reliefs threshold to £2.5m from £1m when it is introduced in [...]
Mothercare shares dive as firm warns future in ‘significant doubt’

December 23, 2025

Shares in retailer Mothercare plunged by 10 per cent on Tuesday after the group cast “significant doubt” over its future on Tuesday. In a trading update it said it had breached an emergency loan agreement leaving the firm on the hook for millions of pounds. The AIM-listed company was set to repay an £8m loan [...]

Private equity firms sell assets to themselves at a record rate in 2025

Tottenham Hotspur co-owner Daniel Levy gets gong in New Year Honours list

The best London theatre 2026 from musicals to West End transfers

By: Samuel Norman

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