Defence boom will continue long after Ukraine war, says Panmure May 19, 2025 An end to hostilties in Ukraine would only be a short-term setback for the share price of European defence manufacturers, according to analysts. The International Institute for Strategic Studies (ISS) said last week that in the case of a mid-2025 ceasefire in Ukraine, Russia could rearm and attack a Baltic state as soon as 2027. [...]
Terms emerge on UK-EU ‘reset’ talks May 19, 2025 Decisions on security, the youth mobility scheme, fishing and agriculture are anticipated to emerge from today’s UK-EU “reset” summit. These talks are part of a routine five year review of the UK-EU trade and cooperation agreement, which was signed in 2020. While agreements on key aspects of the deal have been completed, Trade Secretary Jonathan [...]
The Square Mile’s latest office transformation gets green light May 19, 2025 A huge redevelopment of 1 Moor Lane has been given the green light by the City of London Corporation as the Square Mile looks to boost its office capacity. The all-electric transformation of the building by Brookfield Properties will add 300,000 sqft (27,000 sqm) of grade-A offices to the City, increasing the amount of office [...]
Government to clamp down on ‘buy now pay later’ services such as Klarna and Clearpay May 19, 2025 Fintechs including Klarna and Clearpay providing ‘buy now pay later’ services will face fresh regulation by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) after years of wrangling and delays. New rules will require financial services providers to conduct affordability checks as part of efforts to make banking standards more consistent. Borrowers will also be able to make [...]
Microsoft is past its glory days says UK fund manager May 19, 2025 Liontrust’s global innovation fund team made a striking call that bucks the conventional wisdom of leading tech stocks by saying that Microsoft, one of the world’s most valuable firms, may no longer be a long-term winner. Storm Uru and Clare Pleydell-Bouverie, co-managers of Liontrust’s Innovation Fund, have told City AM they no longer hold any [...]
Visa for the ‘super rich’ won’t bring back non-doms, MPs say May 19, 2025 The government has floated a new “investor visa” in an attempt to stop the flight of millionaires from the UK, with plans in the early stages of development. The visa would reward those who invest heavily into the UK – particularly in strategically important areas such as AI and clean energy – with a route [...]
Pret A Manger: Why prices rises are ‘inevitable’ after surviving ‘near-death crisis’ May 19, 2025 The boss of Pret A Manger in the UK has revealed the tough economic reality the country is currently facing means it is “inevitable” that some prices will have to be increased. Clare Clough admitted recent years have been “challenging” for the high street staple but that the brand’s number one priority is to find [...]
Keir Starmer reaches tentative EU trade deal ahead of summit May 19, 2025 Sir Keir Starmer has agreed a tentative trade deal with the EU, the biggest shake-up of Britain’s relationship with the bloc since Brexit. The UK-EU deal is expected to involve a new trading arrangement and a border deal and could extend to a new security and defence pact, which could open up access to the [...]
Art’otel London Hoxton, review: an unlikely Shoreditch icon May 18, 2025 Built on the site of a Hoxton pub that became synonymous with the Brit Art movement, the Art’otel Hoxton has some seriously big, trendy shoes to fill – and we think it’s met the challenge. Not content to hang art on the walls, the double-height atrium in the hotel’s foyer becomes the art. Edge-to-edge screens [...]
Chancellor Rachel Reeves warned against slashing cash ISA allowance May 17, 2025 Finance chiefs have urged Rachel Reeves not to reform cash ISAs amid reports the Chancellor plans to slash the tax-free savings allowance. The Treasury is reportedly considering lowering the annual cash ISA allowance from £20,000 to £4,000, to encourage more people to put their money into investments, with Reeves looking for new sources of investment [...]