Bank lobby boss Anthony Browne says it’s time to stop grieving over Brexit November 22, 2016 The head of the British Bankers' Association (BBA) last night declared “the time for grieving is over” in the wake of the Brexit vote. “We should stop looking back, roll up our sleeves and look to the future,” said Anthony Browne, speaking at the BBA’s annual dinner at Mansion House. Read more: Sir Martin Sorrell: Brexit [...]
The Gulf States see great opportunities in Britain’s bright post-Brexit future December 8, 2016 Prime Minister Theresa May is in Bahrain, meeting with leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), spearheading the UK government’s plans to “turbo-charge” trade with this important trading bloc. In doing so Mrs May has gone into the history books as the first British Prime Minister to attend the annual GCC Summit, and also the [...]
The lofty ideals behind the creation of the Barbican Estate are explored in an essay for a new book, Residents: Inside the Barbican Estate October 21, 2016 A sense of privacy and protection is built into the Barbican estate’s architecture. Designed to shield its residents from the outside world – whether that was the aftermath of the Blitz, the surrounding industry of the city, or the traffic below – this holistic experiment in urban housing is both of the city and apart [...]
Travel website Skyscanner bought by Chinese firm Ctrip in £1.4bn deal November 24, 2016 The UK travel comparison site Skyscanner has been bought up by Ctrip, China's largest online travel business. The deal values Skyscanner at around £1.4bn. The travel website, which is based in Edinburgh, said it would keep the same management team and would be run independently within the Ctrip group. What does this mean for UK [...]
BMW 740Le xDrive review: The latest BMW 7 Series is a City-friendly plug-in hybrid February 6, 2017 When he’s not running across sand or wooing Audrey Roberts, actor Nigel Havers likes nothing better than to walk around London tapping on the windows of chauffeurs sitting with their engine running, telling them to turn it off. The number of cars sat idling by the side of the road, doing nothing, is “extraordinary” he [...]
City of London poised to step in over 22 Bishopsgate skyscraper “rights to light” battle March 9, 2016 The developers behind City skyscraper 22 Bishopsgate have called on the City of London for help fighting a fierce "rights to light" battle with neighbouring landlords that threatens to derail the scheme. AXA Investment Managers – Real Assets and Lipton Rogers have been locked in a row with its neighbours and campaign groups, who argue that the 62-storey tower overshadows their [...]
Clamour for a quick-fire Brexit will grow if Trump abolishes Dodd-Frank December 13, 2016 Worryingly the spirit of the age is to characterise diplomatic relations as some sort of zero-sum game. As a consequence the UK urgently needs to avoid the temptation of pitching our national interest against global goals as we extricate ourselves from the EU. Ongoing harmony and goodwill between the UK and the remaining EU 27 will [...]
Paris steals London’s crown as Europe’s top property market October 17, 2016 London has lost its spot as Europe's top real estate market in the wake of the EU referendum. A leading index of Europe's most promising property hotspots found Paris has knocked the capital into second place for the first time in four years with the London market looking set for a bumpy ride as the UK [...]
City eyes best possible access to Europe’s Single Market January 16, 2017 The City is shifting to a new focus on best possible access to Europe's Single Market, rather than pinning hopes on continued membership of the trading bloc, as it prepares for the Prime Minister to announce a so-called clean Brexit tomorrow. In a much anticipated speech, Theresa May is expected to make clear the UK’s [...]
Why London’s technology sector is united against Brexit March 18, 2016 The upcoming EU referendum could redefine what it means to do business in Britain, and the City has emerged as a powerful campaigning voice in the debate. The chief executives of Numis Securities and CMC Markets have called for the UK to leave, opposing the views of the City of London Corporation and 36 FTSE [...]