Going for growth is a game of risk that ministers must embrace January 21, 2025 In the words of the Lord Mayor of London, “the only way you get growth is via risk.” Alastair King made this observation early in November last year, before it was fashionable. These days, it seems everyone’s discovering their appetite for risk. The notion that professional regulators could magic up some pro-growth policies has attracted [...]
UK economy: Does Labour’s economic hotchpotchism matter? January 21, 2025 Although gilt jitters have eased, the embattled Chancellor now faces a new and far more serious criticism.
London investors urged to shift assets as huge capital gains tax burden revealed January 21, 2025 Investors from London and the Home Counties will be the hardest hit by April’s hike to capital gains tax and should consider moving their assets into tax efficient vehicles, a leading accountancy firm has warned. Taxpayers in the capital are set to pay a combined £430m of additional capital gains tax (CGT) this year, accountants [...]
Rents in this part of London rose faster than anywhere else in the capital last year January 21, 2025 Shoreditch has claimed the crown as the most in-demand spot in the capital for renting, although the rate of increase still remains below 2022 levels. Rents in the trendy area, known for everything from tech start-ups to vintage clothes shops, climbed by 6.6 per cent per month in 2024. Across London as a whole, the [...]
Firstgroup and Virgin push back against state clampdown on open-access rail firms January 20, 2025 Firstgroup and Virgin are combining to push back against a government clampdown on some of the last private train firms operating the UK’s railway tracks. So-called open access is a lesser-used model in which firms shoulder commercial risk but take the entire share of any profit. It is viewed as a success story by many [...]
Back to the office helps City of London’s tallest tower to full capacity January 20, 2025 The City’s tallest tower, 22 Bishopsgate, has been fully let after four years as the financial district continues to prove its ability to command premiums for best-in-class sustainable spaces. There’s little sign of the gloom pervading other areas of the commercial office sector in the City, with rents at 22 Bishopsgate the highest ever achieved [...]
Bank of London appoints former Credit Suisse boss as chief executive January 20, 2025 Embattled fintech ‘unicorn’ the Bank of London has appointed the former UK boss of Credit Suisse as chief executive today, as it looks to recover from a string of setbacks and the sudden exit of its founder last year. In a statement, the digital clearing bank said Christopher Horne, who previously headed the failed Swiss [...]
How City of London investors are bracing for Donald Trump 2.0 January 20, 2025 City investors are bracing for four more years of unpredictability on the global markets as Donald Trump returns to the White House as president. After banging the drum for punitive trade tariffs and US protectionism in recent months, Trump’s second term is expected to inflict more turmoil on global markets than outgoing president Joe Biden. [...]
Contactless train ticketing finally coming to London Stansted Airport January 20, 2025 The government has outlined its plans to roll-out contactless ticketing at nearly a hundred UK train stations in 2025, including London Stansted Airport, with a start date less than a fortnight away The Department for Transport (DfT) said on Monday some 47 stations across the South East would be able to use tap-in and tap-out [...]
Rolls-Royce worth £50bn again after FTSE 100 surge January 20, 2025 Rolls-Royce has returned to a market capitalisation of more than £50bn after its shares rallied. The Derby-headquartered FTSE 100 giant passed the milestone for the first time at the start of December 2024 before its share price fell back. However, Rolls-Royce has surpassed the £50bn barrier once again after a jump in its share price [...]