Dear readers: it’s time to hear all about your Christmas excesses December 21, 2015 Bankers are having their biggest year on record for global mergers and acquisitions, but instead of celebrating in the usual fashion with an over-the-top staff Christmas party, some are avoiding going out altogether so as not to draw attention to themselves. Earlier this month we reported that the Square Mile’s marketers were letting loose. While [...]
City comes together again to raise funds for our heroes September 20, 2015 It’s that time again – when the cream of the culinary world are pulling out all the stops to lay on a lavish bash to raise funds for our service men and women and their families. This time Square Mile Salute are recreating the exclusive world of The Birley Clubs in the City’s historic seat [...]
Lord Mayor’s Show London 2015 parade: Something different for the weekend November 13, 2015 We all have our daily routines. Travel into such-and-such station, make a beeline for the office, grab a coffee on the way, preferred sandwich shop at lunch, back to work, another beeline to such-and-such station, then home again. And repeat. Hundreds of thousands of us cross paths in the Square Mile each weekday, turning into [...]
Fraud damages our competitiveness: There must be no darkened corners in the City February 15, 2016 "Fraud shames our financial system” said the home secretary Theresa May last week, as she launched the Joint Fraud Taskforce, which aims to clamp down on the volume of fraud we face. I was very glad to host the launch at Mansion House, because our government, regulators and law enforcers should know that they have [...]
Access to faster broadband is crucial for the City to remain competitive globally October 25, 2015 The word “wayleave” might not necessarily mean very much to most readers. But this legal agreement permits the installation of broadband – an essential for any company – so that it can reach the offices and businesses that need it. As things stand, each connection requires a new agreement, and SME tenants, of which [...]
A bigger London can be an even better London January 5, 2016 London is already Europe’s largest city, with a population in excess of 8.6m. The Greater London Authority expects this figure to climb to 11.3m over the next 25 years, but a fascinating report by Oxford Economics says that the GLA has underestimated the continuing boom, and that our city’s population will reach 12m by 2050. The [...]
EU referendum: David Cameron’s EU reform gamble ahead of in/out referendum divides City opinion February 2, 2016 A draft deal to reform Britain’s relationship with the European Union has fiercely divided the Square Mile, prompting cheers from big business groups and drawing sharp criticisms from sceptical economists and industry leaders. European Council President Donald Tusk tabled a tentative agreement yesterday for a “new settlement” for the UK in the EU, and in [...]
Want to beat your mid-life crisis? Buy a car or become an alderman. Men over 55 can get a happiness boost from fast cars and joining clubs December 7, 2015 There comes a time in every budding City big-wig's career when he or she gets a taste for fast cars, secret societies and just spending lots of money; the mid-life crisis. Now recent research has found that mid-50s ennui is not only very real and a big problem, but the only cure is giving in [...]
London Stock Exchange gets a US health-kick in Global Entry breakfast launch November 30, 2015 Despite the indulgences and parties of the holiday season, it looks like more than a few high-flying City slickers are cutting back on the carbs in the run up to Christmas. At Monday's Global Entry launch breakfast with Sajid Javid and Karren Brady at the London Stock Exchange, The Capitalist was tempted by an array of trendy [...]
Why won’t Labour have lunch with Panmure Gordon? One City firm feels ignored by some MPs… December 21, 2015 While some Labour MPs have made contact with City big-wigs and the shadow cabinet’s diary fills up fast, one firm has felt more than a few cold shoulders from the left this year. Earlier this year we were keen to make sure new shadow City minister Richard Burgon felt welcome in his new role as Labour’s [...]