Drinks firms ‘have no choice’ but to increase prices, say industry bosses January 31, 2026 Top drinks businesses “have no choice” but to increase prices after facing steep cost hikes from rising alcohol duty, industry leaders have warned. In November’s autumn budget, Chancellor Rachel Reeves confirmed that alcohol duty would increase in line with Retail Prices Index (RPI) inflation. It means that the tax charged on alcoholic drinks will increase [...]
London house prices ‘need’ to fall amid supply increase, housing minister says January 30, 2026 House prices “probably need” to fall in London, the housing minister has said, after insisting that the government’s 1.5m home building target could still be met. Matthew Pennycook said Labour wants to encourage developers to compete on volume in order to ramp up housing supply and make homes more affordable. There are “people in London [...]
‘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. [...]
Find me a blander corporate rebrand than This Bank January 29, 2026 What’s in a name? The corporate rebrand for This Bank is insipid and lacks imagination, says Simon Hunt. Marketing strategies are hard to get right. Coming up with a new name, a new logo, a new motto is riddled with danger. I don’t begrudge those paid to have a go at it. A litany of [...]
As Starmer heads to China, Brits rush to buy Chinese EVs January 29, 2026 A couple of years ago, I was invited to the launch of a new Chinese EV brand called Omoda. Myself and a handful of journalists showed up to an inauspicious press event in the basement of a Covent Garden hotel. In the room was parked (I’m still not sure how they got it down there) [...]
LSEG axes Financial Times subscriptions amid FTSE coverage retreat January 29, 2026 The operator of the London Stock Exchange has cancelled hundreds of corporate subscriptions to the Financial Times, City AM understands, in a move that could end a decades-long relationship between the two City institutions. LSEG is understood to have taken the decision in response to the paper’s gradual retreat from coverage of the London markets, [...]
Nearly 600 jobs to go as Revolution Bars rescue deal shuts over 20 sites January 27, 2026 Nearly 600 jobs are set to be wiped out after a last-minute rescue deal to acquire the group behind Revolution Bars will see more than 20 sites closed with immediate effect. Administrators for Revel Collective, the AIM-listed hospitality group which also owns the Peach pubs chain, said two separate deals had been reached to sell [...]
Revolution Bars owner appoints administrators as hospitality crisis deepens January 26, 2026 Dozens of bars up and down the country could soon shut their doors for the last time as one of Britain’s best-known hospitality groups prepares to appoint administrators. Revel Collective, which owns more than sixty venues comprising the Revolution Bars group as well as the Peach pub chain, said it expects to appoint administrators within [...]
FTSE 100 Live: Gold surges past $5,000, S4 Capital shares rocket January 26, 2026 Good morning from the City AM liveblog team. While brokers and stock exchange managers are hoping for an IPO comeback in 2026 after a four-year drought, some investors are less keen to see a flood of fresh companies hitting the market. Speaking at an Innovate Finance panel discussion chaired by City AM, James Codling, managing [...]
Fintechs should avoid ‘trap’ of early IPO, warns top London VC investor January 26, 2026 Fintech firms considering joining the public markets should avoid the “trap” of floating too early or risk “disaster”, a top London venture capital investor has warned. Speaking at an Innovate Finance panel discussion chaired by City AM, James Codling, managing partner of VC firm Volution, said fintechs must make sure they “get to the right [...]
