£300m tax relief for pubs ‘a sticking plaster’ January 27, 2026 Chancellor Rachel Reeves has unveiled a £300m package to support to pubs in their battle against rocketing business rates after widespread backlash to Budget announcements, representing yet another government U-turn on tax plans. The Treasury has announced it will give pubs and music venues a 15 per cent discount on business rates bills from April [...]
Formula 1 signs Standard Chartered up as major partner January 27, 2026 Standard Chartered has penned a deal with Formula 1 to become the motor sport’s wealth management and investment banking partner. The City of London-headquartered firm will be involved with Formula 1 as part of a multi-year deal, with Standard Chartered’s branding set to feature trackside. The bank’s chief of corporate and investment banking, Roberto Hoornweg, [...]
Hargreaves Lansdown overhauls fees in face of rising competition January 26, 2026 The UK’s largest DIY investment platform is reducing fees for roughly half of its 2m-plus customers as it continues to face escalating competition within the industry. Hargreaves Lansdown said it will cut its annual account and share dealing fees, but add a charge for fund trading in its first overhaul of pricing in more than [...]
Fund giant slashes UK exposure as investors sour on Britain January 23, 2026 One of the world’s largest money managers is shedding its investments in the UK, after investors said they wanted more of their cash to be allocated overseas despite a government push to encourage investment in domestic equities. Vanguard, the world’s second largest asset manager, said it would reduce its £52bn Life Strategy fund’s UK equity [...]
Budget fails to dampen commercial property activity January 23, 2026 Leasing and investment demand for commercial real estate remained high in the last few months of 2025, as the industry swerved Budget uncertainty that rattled the housing market. While growth in demand was slightly tempered by speculation surrounding tax changes, year-on-year figures remained robust among individual spaces. Office space investment demand reported a four per [...]
King’s Cross retail sales boom as reinvention continues January 22, 2026 King’s Cross retail sales rose by double digits last year as the zone’s reinvention attracts significant retail and leisure investment. Total sales across the King’s Cross estate climbed by 13.5 per cent year on year, with retail sales up by 16 per cent and food and drink sales also climbing by 10 per cent. [...]
Currys shares soar after retailer defies high street gloom January 21, 2026 Shares in tech retailer Currys soared this morning after the firm released an upbeat Christmas trading update, defying wider gloom on the high street. The London-listed firm recorded a three per cent uptick in UK and Ireland revenue as it clawed a bigger market share from strong sales in mobile, as well as growth in [...]
Business health check: the five-point plan to sharpen 2026 performance January 20, 2026 Businesses thrive on certainty, something that is frequently in short supply. That’s why now is a good time to check your business has the tools to withstand whatever the next 12 months might send your way. Prepare for what you know about – and what you don’t. Planning for the year requires getting comfortable with [...]
FTSE 100 Live: Stocks fall as Trump ramps up pressure; Unemployment at four-year high January 20, 2026 Good morning and welcome back to the City AM liveblog. Thousands more Brits exited the jobs market in November as the estimated number of payrolled employees fell by 33,000. New figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed the UK unemployment rate for people aged 16 years and hit 5.1 per cent in September [...]
Top London restaurants to visit in January 2026 January 19, 2026 Despite record restaurant closures in the capital, brave souls continue to open new ones. But as tempting as it is to visit the latest hotspot or search for new trends you should never ignore the iconic restaurants in our city. Some classic London favourites I have visited recently include The Maine, Bob Bob Ricard City, [...]