Will Andrew Bailey be Santa or Scrooge this Christmas? December 10, 2025 The Notebook, where the City’s movers and shakers have their say, Today it’s Susannah Streeter with the pen Christmas spirit seems to have spread a lot faster this year. I’ve never seen so many trees up in windows quite so early and there seem to be more lights twinkling in the streets. After months of [...]
London Museum: inside the £400m cultural development at West Smithfield December 9, 2025 The London Museum is set to open at West Smithfield in 2026. It is one of Europe’s largest cultural developments and is backed by more than £400m in funding from the City of London Corporation and the Mayor of London, of which the City Corporation is contributing £222m. I recently toured the museum and met [...]
Stamp duty holiday first ‘meaningful change’ in a long time, says London Stock Exchange boss December 9, 2025 The London Stock Exchange has welcomed the government’s move to grant a stamp duty holiday to newly-listed entrants, hailing it the first “meaningful change” seen in a long time. Chancellor Rachel Reeves launched a three year stamp duty holiday for fresh listings on the London market in her Budget last month. The Treasury’s plans have [...]
FCA to allow firms to ‘eradicate jargon’ for retail investors December 8, 2025 The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is rolling out a heap of new measures to “move the dial on risk” among Britons as it bids to lead on the charge to boost retail investment, including through allowing them to remove legal jargon that confuses consumers. In a suite of consultations unveiled on Monday, the City regulator [...]
Getting rid of business rates won’t fix Britain’s high streets December 5, 2025 The decline of the UK’s high streets has been well-documented over the past decades, with the finger variously pointed at structural and policy changes. At the 2025 Labour Party conference, the Prime Minister said that the UK’s high streets are “struggling against the tide of decline”, promising to replace the business rates system and level [...]
Cash ISA limit cut: why your tax-free savings are still vital December 4, 2025 Chancellor Rachel Reeves slashed the annual limit for cash ISAs. But this isn’t their death knell – they still have a very valuable place as part of a diversified portfolio. It’s all change for ISA limits For many savers, the cash ISA has been a huge success story. It’s given them a lower-risk, tax-free way [...]
Round Retail: the social enterprise transforming second-hand fashion December 4, 2025 The fashion resale industry has transformed over the last few years, and social enterprise, Round Retail, founded by Annie Hought, has played a central role in that evolution. The East London native launched Round Retail in early 2023 with a mission to make second-hand shopping consumers’ first choice by offering a premium, in-person experience. “I [...]
K2 Rubicon Specialty Appoints Vicky Hayward as Head of Hull December 4, 2025 K2 Rubicon Specialty, a division of K2 Group Holdings Limited (K2 International) and K2 Insurance Services, announces today it has appointed Vicky Hayward as Head of Hull, further strengthening its marine underwriting capabilities as the business continues its growth trajectory. Vicky brings more than 20 years’ experience in the insurance industry, specialising in Marine Hull [...]
UK workers could reclaim half their day thanks to AI, report finds December 4, 2025 UK office workers could reclaim nearly half of a standard eight-hour workday thanks to AI, according to new data from Salesforce. The findings, based on a commissioned study from IDC, suggest AI tools are not just automating repetitive tasks, but are starting to reshape how humans actually work. On average, UK employees estimate that AI [...]
Apex Group to act as intermediary for London Stock Exchange’s Pisces market December 4, 2025 The London Stock Exchange’s Pisces market has taken another step forward with financial services provider Apex Group securing a position as the trading venues intermediary. The group will act as the index’s registered auction agent (RAA) meaning it is responsible for ensuring all companies who wish to list are compliant with Pisces rules before becoming [...]