Who is Kevin Warsh, the man expected to become the next Fed chair? January 30, 2026 US President Donald Trump has said he will name his pick for Federal Reserve chair on Friday, ending months of speculation over who will replace Jerome Powell at the head of the US central bank. Trump said on Thursday evening that he would confirm the name of his candidate “tomorrow morning”, somebody who “is very [...]
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 [...]
Full map of closures: Santander axes another 44 branches putting 291 jobs at risk January 29, 2026 Santander has made another cull to its branch network as the Spanish banking giant ploughs ahead with its digital transformation. The lender said it would close another 44 branches, which will put 291 jobs at risk of redundancy, as the bank turns its focus to its digital offer to keep at pace with its fintech [...]
Fintech founder Adam French: I wish the City would be braver January 29, 2026 Each week, we dig into the memory bank of the City's great and good. Today, we speak to Adam French, partner at early-stage VC firm Antler.
‘Woke’ banknotes: Bank of England orders money printer to follow ESG rules January 29, 2026 The Bank of England is facing backlash over its plans to make a new banknote printer comply with ESG and diversity standards under a “pass or fail” regime. Bank officials have attracted criticism from shadow business secretary Andrew Griffith over their plans to make applicants for the UK’s new money printing contract follow stringent criteria [...]
Alta review: Serious Spanish food amid the Carnaby crowds January 28, 2026 Alta, Kingly Ct, Carnaby, W1B 5PW | Nearest Tube: Oxford Circus With its jolly pink furniture and candy-striped awnings, Kingly Court has an air of unreality. It’s a Disneyfied version of what food culture might look like if it were imagined by a private equity firm, a place designed to house tourists grappling with their disappointment [...]
Lib Dems: Starmer has gone ‘cap in hand’ to China despite spy threats January 28, 2026 Keir Starmer has been accused of going “cap in hand” to China, piling further criticism on the government’s trade ambitions with a country that has backed hacking operations against the UK. Liberal Democrats deputy leader Daisy Cooper demanded deputy prime minister David Lammy, who stood in for Starmer at PMQs, to name a “single consequence” [...]
FTSE 100 Live: Pound at 2021 high as Trump shrugs at dollar woes January 28, 2026 Good morning and welcome back to the City AM liveblog. Has the mining sector’s rally finally run out of steam? It appeared so on Tuesday, where City banks helped lift the FTSE 100 out of the red as miners across the board sank despite the ever-increasing price of precious metals. Fresnillo – the best performing [...]
DakaDaka review: The comfort food we all need right now January 27, 2026 DakaDaka, 10 Heddon Street, W1B 4BX | Nearest Tube: Piccadilly Circus Heddon Street has developed its own culinary microclimate. Whether by luck or design, it has become a place where you can almost guarantee a decent plate of food, with its current crop of restaurants including Sabor (superlative Spanish), Fonda (respectable Mexican) and Casa do [...]
Andy Street: Conservatives can beat Reform with centre-right policies January 26, 2026 The Conservatives can beat Reform UK if it leans into pro-business policies put forward by a new centre-right group, former Birmingham mayor Andy Street has said. Street said his new political group co-founded with former Scottish Conservatives leader Baroness Davidson – and backed by dozens of former Cabinet ministers and policy officials – can help [...]