City of London must start talking about the opportunities of Brexit : CityAM February 28, 2020 Too much of the discussion around Brexit’s impact on the City has treated it as something of an inconvenience that must be “managed”. This is perhaps understandable — business rarely likes change, certainly not on this scale. But it’s time that we start talking about the opportunities Brexit will present to the City. The conversation largely [...]
UK services firms and consumers grow cheerier despite coronavirus February 28, 2020 Optimism in the UK services sector rose at its fastest pace in almost five years in the three months to February, a survey has shown, in the latest sign that the removal of some political uncertainty has cheered businesses. A separate survey today showed that UK consumers also became more optimistic in February, with rising [...]
Aviation expansion is a no-brainer February 27, 2020 It’s 1968, and the Harold Wilson government’s official Roskill Commission begins to look into the possibility of a third airport for London. Heathrow is increasingly full and anybody with any foresight can see that aviation traffic is only going to become more important in the modern economy. His recommendation is an airport in Buckinghamshire, but [...]
Court date set for Uber’s London ban appeal February 27, 2020 The court date for Uber’s appeal of its London ban is set for 6 July, with a judge deciding today that the capital’s largest taxi union can take part in the proceedings. Chief Magistrate of England and Wales Emma Arbuthnot ruled today that the Licensed Taxi Drivers’ Association (LTDA) are an “interested party” in the [...]
Independent mayoral candidate Rory Stewart in BBC row February 27, 2020 The BBC has been accused of discriminating against Rory Stewart by shutting him out of its coverage in the lead-up to the May mayoral election. BBC London did not include the independent mayor of London candidate in a special report yesterday about knife crime, despite featuring the other four main challengers. City A.M. understands the [...]
Wealth managers reduce exposure to UK property February 27, 2020 Following the high-profile suspensions of the M&G and Prudential UK property funds last year, UK wealth managers have significantly reduced their exposure to property. Six adviser groups have removed direct property funds from their portfolios for investors across all risk profiles, according to FE fundinfo’s Adviser Fund Index. Ten funds in the sector were removed [...]
Pound falls as UK threatens to walk away from Brexit trade talks February 27, 2020 The pound is down against the euro after Downing Street threatened to walk away from Brexit trade talks in June if it appears an agreement is unlikely. The pound fell 0.79 per cent against the euro to €1.175 and down to $1.288 against the dollar, as Britain reiterated its no-deal Brexit threat. Boris Johnson published [...]
Brexit trade talks: Six key takeaways from the UK’s negotiating mandate February 27, 2020 The UK government published its negotiating mandate for Brexit trade talks today, setting out what Boris Johnson’s chief sherpa David Frost will be seeking when talks kick off next week. But what are the key takeaways from that document? Here’s six of the most important points. 1. No UK-EU alignment This should be no surprise [...]
Heathrow third runway: Businesses react as High Court blocks expansion February 27, 2020 Climate groups reacted joyously this morning after the Court of Appeal upheld their challenge to the planned third runway expansion of Heathrow Airport. However, business groups expressed their “bitter disappointment” at the decision. In a seismic decision for environmental campaigners, the court found that the government’s policy statement for the third runway was “unlawful” as [...]
BoE governor Mark Carney urges the City to step up on climate change February 27, 2020 Outgoing Bank of England governor Mark Carney has demanded the City answer “calls to action” on climate change and help speed up the transition to a low-carbon economy. In a speech given in the City this morning, Carney is expected to call on money managers to “ensure that every financial decision takes climate change into [...]