Norman Lamont: Britons not prepared for the economic hardship ‘around the corner’ May 6, 2020 Former chancellor Lord Norman Lamont has warned the government’s furlough scheme has made people complacent and unaware of the coming economic hardship. Lamont, chancellor under Conservative Prime Minister John Major, said the scheme had lulled “people into a false sense of security” and that many do not realise “their jobs have disappeared or are about [...]
Screenshot: Will London ever be ready for tech IPOs? April 2, 2021 This week **Media Moment of the Week: Volkswagen’s awkward U-turn **Will London ever be ready for tech IPOs? **Amazon goes bonkers for bots Media Moment of the Week: Volkswagen’s awkward U-turn There are few things as grating as the forced joviality of April Fool’s Day and it should, in this writer’s opinion, be cancelled. That [...]
In love with Amazon? It’s just a marriage of convenience August 11, 2020 And just becauseI call you upDon’t get me wrong, don’t think you’ve got it madeI’m not in love, no no, it’s because…. I’m sure you recognise those lyrics from the 1975 hit “I’m Not In Love” by 10cc — which was precisely 20 years before Amazon was launched onto an unsuspecting world. If only we’d [...]
Exclusive: City fund managers on the impact of the third lockdown January 13, 2021 In this 2-part series, City A.M. asked UK-focused fund managers what they make of post-Brexit trade arrangements, the impact of three lockdowns and the long-term outlook for the UK’s investment community. Yesterday, in part 1, the investment managers focused on the UK-EU deal and which sectors and companies may become the winners and losers from [...]
Government must shield, not sacrifice, financial services in Brexit negotiations November 16, 2020 The health and success of London’s financial businesses is pivotal to the national interest. Banks and other financial institutions that operate out of the Square Mile and Canary Wharf play a vital role in financing businesses, start-ups and critical infrastructure projects in every corner of the UK.
Exclusive: It takes a bot to catch a bot, says advertising chief January 12, 2021 Alongside its early challenges and uncertainty around digital ad spend, 2020 has been a big year for digital advertising as the pandemic forced businesses and consumers moved online. City A.M. spoke with Mayfair-based Nick Morley, EMEA Managing Director at online ad verification giant Integral Ad Science, which analyses the value of digital advertising placements. UK [...]
Barclays receiving 35 applications a minute for bounce back loans May 4, 2020 Barclays has received 35 loan applications per minute this morning for the newly launched bounce bank loan scheme, according to the bank’s UK boss. Barclays Bank UK chief executive Matt Hammerstein told a House of Commons committee today that his bank received received 200 applications within minutes of the emergency scheme opening at 8am. The [...]
Barclays approves over 32,000 ‘bounce back’ loans May 5, 2020 Barclays has approved over 32,000 “bounce back” loans since the scheme was launched yesterday. Yesterday, the bank said it received 35 loan applications per minute when the government launched the new scheme. Barclays UK chief executive Matt Hammerstein told a House of Commons committee that the bank had received 200 applications within minutes of opening [...]
Keep calm and drink Yorkshire Tea until the Twitter storm blows over February 27, 2020 Another day, another Twitter pile-on. This time, the warriors of social justice turned their ire on homely hot-drink merchants Yorkshire Tea. Their equally voluble online opponents rallied to its defence. Why? Because Yorkshire Tea had the temerity to be, unbeknownst to them, our new chancellor’s choice of brew. Or, more precisely, the drink selected by [...]
Coronavirus: UK economy shrinks two per cent in first quarter of 2020 May 13, 2020 The UK economy shrank by two per cent in the first three months of 2020 due to the impact of coronavirus, official GDP data showed today. The slump showed the UK economy’s contracted at its fastest rate since the height of the financial crisis in 2008. The lockdown, which started on 23 March, saw the [...]