Exclusive: Top FTSE executive recruiter goes bust after AI platform launch July 4, 2026 A City-based boutique recruitment consultancy which has won executive-level talent for a host of FTSE firms has plunged into insolvency after pumping investment into an AI platform, City AM can reveal. Savannah Group, which has recruited directors and executives for the likes of Starbucks, hospitality giant Fullers, Burger King, Aston Martin, and global cruise titan [...]
Natwest hit with £250m lawsuit tied to Thurrock Council scandal July 1, 2026 Natwest could be on the hook for more than a quarter of a billion pounds for allegedly aiding a businessman in secretly transferring funds from his investment firm. The FTSE 100 giant’s subsidiary – the Royal Bank of Scotland – has been engulfed in the collapse of Rockfire Group, which was triggered by a fraud [...]
Exclusive: Reynolds never met Thames Water investors before rejecting rescue deal July 1, 2026 Environment secretary Emma Reynolds never met the investors behind a proposed Thames Water rescue package before slapping down their deal out of hand last month, City AM can reveal. Reynolds, who is the minister responsible for water policy, has left officials in her department to meet representatives of a large creditors’ group, which includes investment [...]
Government-backed ESG reporting platform put up for sale as firms backtrack on eco-goals June 30, 2026 An ESG reporting platform backed by the government-owned British Business Bank has been put up for sale after appointing administrators, City AM can reveal, in the latest sign blue-chip companies are paring back their sustainability commitments. World Wide Generation, which operates the platform, known as G17 Eco, has opened the bidding to interested parties and [...]
Would a £10bn VAT cut really save hospitality? June 20, 2026 Calls for the government to slash VAT on hospitality firms have been backed by pub and restaurant bosses, and Prime Minister hopeful Andy Burnham. What would this tax break really mean for the economy? The UK’s pubs, hotels and restaurants say they are at breaking point. Higher business rates, hikes to national insurance and minimum [...]
From bathroom to courtroom: Lush chief’s squabble set to fizz in £6m trial June 17, 2026 The former chief executive of cosmetics giant Lush is set to face off against the current chief executive in a 19-day trial that spans more than 30 years of the company’s history and may cost over £6m in legal fees. The dispute stems from former chief executive Andrew Gerrie’s 2014 exit from the company, after [...]
Ex-Lush chief’s lawyers hike costs to ensure their AI model isn’t trained by juniors June 16, 2026 Lawyers for the former chief executive of cosmetics giant Lush, Andrew Gerrie, have hiked their fees ahead of a trial this month, partly as they will not allow junior staff to train their AI model, City AM can reveal. A court heard this morning that Gerrie’s legal team from Brown Rudnick have pushed up a [...]
Thames Water on cusp of public ownership after ‘weak’ deal June 16, 2026 Thames Water is on the cusp of being placed in temporary public ownership after the government raised concern with a proposed £10bn rescue by its lenders. It was reported last night that the environment secretary Emma Reynolds had outlined a number of concerns to the industry regulator Ofwat ahead of a final decision on the [...]
Westlake Expands Global Chlorovinyls Manufacturing Capacity With Acquisition of PVC and VCM Plants in Wilhelmshaven, Germany June 15, 2026 Westlake Corporation (NYSE: WLK) (“Westlake”) announced today that its German subsidiary, Westlake Vinnolit GmbH & Co. KG, has completed the previously-announced acquisition of a polyvinyl chloride and vinyl chloride monomer production site located in Wilhelmshaven, Germany (the “Wilhelmshaven plant”). The Wilhelmshaven plant, which was previously in insolvency administration, has the capacity to produce 380,000 metric [...]
Real estate firms going bust at record rate as property market slumps June 10, 2026 Real estate companies are going bust at the fastest rate seen in a decade, City AM can reveal, in a further sign that the UK’s property market is taking a battering. As many as 762 real estate-related businesses have become insolvent in the UK since the start of the year, a City AM analysis of [...]