London doesn’t need an ambassador Mayor – it needs a chief executive February 5, 2026 The capital punches below its weight because it can’t govern itself. Slash the number of boroughs, reform the London Assembly and give the Mayor revenue-raising powers to unleash London, says Joe Hill To be the Mayor of London is to be the leader of a global capital city. It is a different job to the [...]
‘Look out for rich individuals’: The deep ties between Mandelson lobbying firm and Epstein February 5, 2026 As one of London’s many eminent lobbying and advisory outfits, Peter Mandelson’s Global Counsel is well versed in what it takes to manage a reputation. Set up by the former deputy Prime Minister and Labour spin doctor Benjamin Wegg-Prosser from the embers of Labour’s 2010 general election loss, it has worked on some of the [...]
Liverpool Street redevelopment tipped to get green light February 5, 2026 The controversial redevelopment of Liverpool Street station has been tipped for approval despite receiving thousands of objections. Planning officers at the City of London Corporation recognised that the plans would cause harm to a number of heritage assets, including the station itself, but said the issues were “clearly and convincingly justified” given the wider benefits [...]
Nick Train’s Finsbury fund slides further as AI triggers jitters February 4, 2026 Nick Train’s Finsbury Growth and Income Trust (FGIT) has endured another torrid few days after being caught up in the sell-off in data and software stocks. The trust is heavily exposed to London’s leading listed software companies, all of which have faced heavy pressure since the launch of Anthropic’s legal productivity tool on Monday. At [...]
Inside South Africa’s two most exceptionally fabulous hotels February 4, 2026 Cape Town and the surrounding winelands are a clever choice for a start of year escape. Whilst London languishes in grey drizzle, South Africa glows in late summer sunshine. While there are plenty of great restaurants and wineries to visit across the country, an alternative option is to bunker down in the best hotels: here [...]
Payments watchdog won’t be abolished ‘any earlier than 2027’ February 4, 2026 The boss of the payments watchdog has said he doesn’t expect the regulator to be officially abolished any earlier than the first quarter of 2027 as criticism grows over the slow progress of reforms in the sector. David Geale, managing director at the Payment Systems Regulator (PSR), said he had “not seen the outcome” of [...]
Barclays and Natwest set for bidding war in race to beef up wealth arms February 4, 2026 Barclays and Natwest are set for a bidding war as the banks prepare to make their play to snap up Evelyn Partners amid the race to beef up wealth management arms. The blue-chip lenders are both gearing up to table offers of over £2bn for the London-based wealth manager. A successful takeover would help enhance [...]
Broncos owner Lockyer: Being on BBC means we’re a club of topic February 4, 2026 The rebirth of London Broncos will take its next step this weekend when their match against Super League club Bradford Bulls is shown on the BBC. The Challenge Cup is seen as a target for the only major rugby league club south of Warrington, who last year were purchased by NRL rugby league legend Darren [...]
Team GB Selects Options as Official IT Provider Ahead of the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games February 4, 2026 Options Technology (Options), a leading provider of cloud-enabled managed services for global financial markets, today announced it has been selected as the Official IT Provider to Team GB. The partnership will support Team GB through the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games and the Los Angeles 2028 Summer Olympic Games, encompassing all competition events, training [...]
Mandelson branded a ‘naive sucker’ as he tried to build career post-government February 4, 2026 Peter Mandelson was branded “naive” and a “sucker” in new revelations from the Epstein files that shine a light on Mandelson’s efforts to build a career post-government. The Labour veteran told convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein that he had sought the advice of financier Nathaniel Rothschild as he weighed up a role at advisory and investment banking [...]