Unhappy New Year? 72 per cent say UK ‘going in wrong direction’ January 7, 2025 Keir Starmer’s chances of a New Year reset have been dealt a blow with new research revealing a lack of confidence in the government’s economic policies. The first of a new monthly City AM/Freshwater Strategy poll found that 72 per cent of voters say the UK is going in the “wrong direction”, including 53 per [...]
Retail gloom as festive season fails to save 2024 trading January 7, 2025 High street stores showed anaemic growth in the 2024 festive season, despite hopes that Christmas trading would inject some cheer into the sector. Sales grew just 0.3 per cent overall in the ‘golden quarter’, which includes Black Friday, Cyber Monday and Christmas, according to the British Retail Consortium (BRC). Online sales continued to beat in-store, [...]
Our polling shows hope of ‘change’ has turned to despair for Labour January 7, 2025 The inaugural City AM / Freshwater Strategy poll makes grim reading for Keir Starmer as almost three-quarters believe the UK is heading in the wrong direction The inaugural City AM / Freshwater Strategy poll makes grim reading for Keir Starmer. As the Prime Minister returns from the Madeira sun to snowy London, he is met [...]
Why the state should stay out of the kitchen January 7, 2025 A think tank has seriously floated the idea of government-run restaurants. The idea belongs in an age of wartime rationing, not the thriving, free-market food scene the City enjoys today, says Matthew Kilcoyne One wonders if the festive sherry stocks have been hit rather hard in certain London think tanks this Christmas. How else to [...]
Lucky Saint founder: Don’t let ‘Dry January’ dull Britain’s pub culture January 6, 2025 It is no secret that pub culture has long-been deeply ingrained into the social structure of Britain. That said, you’d be forgiven for assuming your latest Dry January drinking hiatus might result in a hiatus from socialising at your favourite local pub. Alcohol-free beer brand Lucky Saint, however, has launched a new nationwide campaign to [...]
Monzo, Open AI, Revolut and Klarna: The IPOs to watch out for in 2025 January 3, 2025 While economic uncertainty prompted a cautious approach to IPOs in 2025, several high-profile companies are preparing to float in 2025. From leading fintechs such as Monzo, Revolut, and Klarna to global giants such as OpenAI and SpaceX, some of the most exciting growth companies in recent years could IPO this year. Here is a look [...]
Peel Ports: Billionaire tycoon handed higher pay day despite profit slump January 3, 2025 The billionaire family behind Peel Ports raked in even more money despite profit at Britain’s second largest operator being slashed during its latest financial year. The Whittaker family shared a dividend pot of £153.9m with fellow shareholders in the Liverpool-headquartered group in the year to 31 March, 2024. The dividend is up from the £138.9m [...]
Not-so-golden quarter: Retail footfall slumps in another disappointing year January 3, 2025 A dull December marked the end of yet another “disappointing” year for UK retail footfall as fresh data has revealed 2024 was the second year in a row to see a decline. According to recent Sensormatic data by the British Retail Consortium, UK footfall fell by 2.5 per cent year-on-year during the three months to December, [...]
Rail strikes: Warning of ‘irreparable fallout’ from train walkouts January 2, 2025 The Night Time Industries Association (NTIA) has warned of the “irreparable fallout” from the ongoing round of Avanti West Coast rail strikes. Passengers faced disruption after rail managers who are members of the RMT union voted to strike on 31 December and 2 January, with disruption on routes to Glasgow, North Wales, Blackpool and Edinburgh. [...]
Why you should still go to the pub in Dry January January 2, 2025 Dry January has crept up on us once again — a month in which avid pub-goers look to kickstart a healthier year ahead. For some, it’s a month to start fresh with new beginnings. For others, such as the hundreds of independent pubs across the nation looking for growth, it is yet another challenge. Especially [...]