By: Samuel Norman

Senior City Reporter Samuel is a Senior City Reporter covering banking and fintech as well as stories on capital markets and economics. He also leads on City AM's morning liveblog from 7am everyday. He has previously written for the Daily Mail and The i Paper and worked for Sky News as an election stringer. He enjoys writing in-depth analysis of major blue-chip firms and start-ups and also industry trends. He can be contacted at samuel.norman@cityam.com and posts on LinkedIn and X at x.com/samnormanwrites.

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Top private school faces job cuts after Reeves’ tax grab

June 21, 2025

A prestigious private school has said it may be forced to make job cuts due to the Labour government’s removal of VAT exemption on school fees. Edinburgh-based Fettes College – where former Prime Minister Tony Blair is among alumni – has said the introduction of VAT on school fees contributed to the “difficult” decision to [...]
High street banks’ SME lending comeback won’t rattle challengers

June 20, 2025

High street banks are flocking back to small- and medium-sized enterprise (SME) lending but face a battle against fintechs which have captured their spot. The Big Four banks have shed their market stronghold in SME lending. Research from the British Business Bank in March revealed challenger banks make up around 60 per cent of gross [...]
Challenger banks scout exit routes as giants circle Metro and TSB

June 19, 2025

Analysts are pencilling in a fresh wave of banking deals with challenger banks set for a market departure. Moody’s analysts have said challenger banks will “seek exit after weak performance” as industry juggernauts set their sights on ramping up their market share. Takeover talk has gripped the City after reports Shawbrook’s private equity owners were [...]
Motor finance woes could make Close Brothers the next takeover target

June 19, 2025

Close Brothers has fought tooth and nail in the motor finance battle but analysts have warned regulatory pressures may make the lender vulnerable to a takeover as banking juggernauts look to snap up the competition. The bank has had a bruising 12 months with its stock sinking to lows of 185p in November. Shares have [...]
NCC Group pivots on cyber security amid rising demand

June 19, 2025

FTSE 250 tech firm NCC Group said it was changing the strategic direction of its cyber security division after revenue took a hit in the first half of the financial year. NCC’s revenue from cyber security tumbled nearly eight per cent to £123.5m for the first half of the year, down from £133.9m for the [...]
Natwest rules out TSB takeover

June 19, 2025

Natwest has ruled out a takeover of UK high street bank TSB. The FTSE 100 juggernaut was viewed as the “most likely acquirer” by analysts, with the firm hotly anticipated to begin a deal spree after it re-entered private ownership last month. TSB’s Spanish owners, Banco Sabadell, confirmed earlier this week that it had received [...]
AIM turns 30: Delistings, doubt and a dose of optimism

June 19, 2025

AIM turns 30 today, but birthday celebrations are bound to be overshadowed by swathes of bleak data on the market’s performance. London’s junior stock market has had a woeful period, with projections indicating the index will shrink by a fifth as a result of delisting plans. The number of companies listed on the City’s Alternative [...]
AIM boss: Inheritance tax sums don’t add up

June 19, 2025

As AIM celebrates its 30th anniversary the market’s boss is eying a crucial birthday present from the Treasury: tax clarity. AIM shareholders were thrust into the tax spotlight last month after a leaked memo revealed Angela Rayner proposed Chancellor Rachel Reeves slap a series of taxes savers. Scrapping the inheritance tax exemption for AIM shares [...]
Labour’s National Wealth Fund a misnomer, MPs told

June 18, 2025

Labour’s National Wealth Fund faced renewed calls for clarity on Wednesday as the Treasury Committee continued its inquiry into the government’s new body. The government’s rebrand of the National Wealth Fund (NWF) from the UK Infrastructure Bank (UKIB) in October 2024 has raised questions amid confusion of the two bodies’ remits. Academics and think tank [...]
Santander interested in TSB takeover

June 18, 2025

Santander has approached its Spanish banking peer, Banco Sabadell, regarding a takeover of its UK high street bank, TSB. Britain’s fifth-largest lender is reported to have expressed interest in a deal for TSB, which follows owners Sabadell confirming earlier this week it had been approached regarding acquisitions. A formal offer is yet to be tabled, Sky News [...]

Burnham: I’ll be a pro-business Prime Minister

The real winner of the Fifa World Cup? Beer

Renault Scenic E-Tech 2026 review: An electric SUV for our times

By: Samuel Norman

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