HSBC chair poured cash into failed tax avoidance investment scheme December 18, 2025 The new chair of HSBC lost money in a tax-avoiding investment scheme that ultimately collapsed, Morning Wire can reveal. Brendon Nelson became a partner and investor in a biofuel exploration business called Future Fuels, itself part of a wider scheme called Elysian Fuels which was operated by Future Capital Partners. The unregulated investment scheme was [...]
The Capitalist: Canada cracks down on public defecation December 18, 2025 The City launches a festive anti-defecation campaign, The Capitalist meets the King and BP does the hoedown throwdown.
Cornish Pirates: We will kick door down to reach franchised Prem Rugby December 18, 2025 The chief executive of Cornish Pirates insists she is ready to “kick the door down” to get her Champ side into Prem Rugby if the top flight becomes a ringfenced franchise league. Prem Rugby and the Rugby Football Union are exploring a franchise model which would see the current 10 teams form a new ring-fenced [...]
Britain is ‘too pessimistic’ to succeed December 18, 2025 Britain is in the grips of an overly pessimistic mindset that is preventing it from taking the risks and making the reforms needed to reawaken its economy, the former chair of Deutsche Bank has said. Dr Paul Achleitner said that while structural issues were largely behind the paucity of growth across Europe and the UK, [...]
London house prices set to barely budge in 2026 December 18, 2025 Property prices in London are set to rise only marginally next year after falling in 2025 as the capital faces continued housing pressure. London has been hit by a combination of unaffordability and high supply this year, with sellers struggling to push through deals and buyers often able to negotiate prices downward. Government data on [...]
Brits’ disposable income shrinks in disappointing Golden Quarter December 18, 2025 Brits feel far poorer now than they did at the start of 2025, with even high-income households downbeat about their financial prospects. In January, people were four per cent more likely to say their pay had gone up rather than down, but Brits are now seven per cent more likely to have seen their pay [...]
The real meaning of Christmas? Capitalism! December 18, 2025 The message of Christmas – as Dickens and the Muppets knew – is that sharing wealth, rather than hording it brings both prosperity and joy to the world, writes James Price As we approach Christmas, capitalism is wont to come in for some criticism. Several classic Christmas movies, like Miracle on 34th Street and It’s [...]
Business rates overhaul to hit Square Mile hotels as row continues December 18, 2025 Hotels in the Square Mile are set to be among the hardest-hit by the property revaluations which have sparked a clash between the hospitality sector and the government. The business rates overhaul, introduced in the November Budget, will see the property values that determine this tax more than double across leading hotels in the City [...]
12 predictions for AI in 2026 December 18, 2025 A year of building an AI business has given Lewis Liu a lot to think about. He gives us his 12 AI assumptions to live by in 2026.
Mark Kleinman: Corporates queue up for 2026 p(l)ay-date December 18, 2025 Mark Kleinman is Sky News’ City Editor and the man who gets the Square Mile talking in his weekly Morning Wire column Corporates queue up for 2026 p(l)ay-date Talk about being on the naughty step. For Anglo American, sealing its $60bn merger with Canada’s Teck Resources – and in the process putting well and truly paid to BHP’s [...]