Starmer demands ‘concrete proposals’ on growth from regulators December 28, 2024 The Prime Minister has called on Britain’s regulators to do more to prioritise growth as he seeks to improve living standards by 2029. In letters sent last week, Sir Keir Starmer, Chancellor Rachel Reeves and business secretary Jonathan Reynolds said they wanted to see “concrete proposals” from regulators setting out how they could “go further” [...]
Retail in 2025: The year of personalisation, AI, wellness – and no more barcodes December 24, 2024 2024 has been a tough year for retail. From companies sounding the alarm on business rates in the first half of the year to low consumer confidence and footfall proving stickier than expected, the festive period has now been overshadowed by stark warnings about further cost rises next year. Restructuring partner at RSM UK, Gordon [...]
Brexit hit to UK trade not as bad as first thought December 18, 2024 The negative impact Brexit had on UK trade may have been softened by big firms adapting to EU barriers, fresh research from a top London university has shown. A report from the Centre for Economic Performance, linked to the London School of Economics, found that “in the short run, aggregate trade proved moderately resilient” to [...]
Audit watchdog swaps City of London for Canary Wharf’s Harbour Exchange December 17, 2024 The Financial Reporting Council (FRC) has revealed it's swapping its City office for Harbour Exchange in Canary Wharf
2025: The year ahead in tech December 16, 2024 2025 will be a defining year for businesses, marked by rapid technological shifts, political uncertainty, increased M&A, and intensifying competition. What else would a look ahead start with other than the much maligned AI? I have said on stage a lot this year I think AI is underhyped despite many saying the opposite. You have [...]
A requiem for UK equity capital markets December 14, 2024 London’s storied status as a global financial powerhouse is slipping away, and with every IPO that doesn’t materialise or company that decamps to the US, it becomes clearer that the City is in its death throes, says Owen Matthews As a former mid-cap ECM investment banker, I’ve watched with despair as the lights dim on [...]
FCA rejects ‘light-touch’ regulation in push for City growth December 10, 2024 The heads of the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) told MPs they will not adopt a “light-touch” approach to regulation today after criticism the City watchdog has hampered growth with burdensome red tape. Appearing before the Treasury Committee on Tuesday, FCA chief executive, Nikhil Rathi, and chair, Ashley Alder, warned of the challenges in delivering on [...]
The rise of the regulators December 10, 2024 Regulators have expanded massively over the last 50 years, in terms of headcount, expenditure and scope. This has created a risk aversion ratchet which is hampering growth and damaging democracy – there is another way, says James Vitali Over the past fifty years, a silent revolution has taken place in the British constitution. While central [...]
Vodafone and Three: What £16.5bn merger actually means for customers and prices December 5, 2024 After an almost 18-month battle the UK’s largest ever telecoms deal – which will see Vodafone and Three complete a £16.5bn merger – has been given the green light. Described by Vodafone as a “once-in-a-generation opportunity to transform the UK’s digital infrastructure”, the deal has now satisfied the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) enough for [...]
Competition watchdog approves Vodafone and Three mega merger December 5, 2024 Vodafone and Three's merger comes after 18 months of deliberation from the CMA, which had previously warned it could push up prices.