City law firms considering corporate-style models amid capital crunch Law Artificial intelligence investment may force top City firms to abandon the traditional limited liability partnership (LLP) mindset and behave like capital‑hungry corporates, a top legal finance firm has predicted. Speaking to Morning Wire, Burford Capital’s chief operating officer, Travis Lenkner, and vice president, Patrick Savage, said City law firms that would never traditionally sell a controlling [...]
Rachel Reeves’ legacy of tinkering with the City is not enough, says Mel Stride Economics Sir Mel Stride has branded Rachel Reeves’ legacy in government as mere “tinkering” with City reform as the top Tory predicted her successor will create a “hostile” environment for the banking sector. In an interview with Morning Wire, the shadow Chancellor branded Reeves’ two-years in the Treasury as “managerial incrementalism,” adding it was “not enough”. [...]
Heart and LBC owner is top of the pops with record reach Media The media juggernaut behind Heart and LBC has raked in record listening hours, according to official figures, bucking a decline in linear broadcast that has seen many legacy outlets struggle. Fresh Rajar analysis found that Global, which also runs Capital and Classic FM as well as boasting a burgeoning podcast empire, landed 288m listening hours [...]
FTSE 100 Live: Beazley seals $15bn Zurich deal, Santander in $12bn takeover February 4, 2026 Good morning and welcome back to the Morning Wire liveblog. Shares in Europe’s biggest data, publishing and legal software groups slumped on Tuesday after AI giant Anthropic unveiled a new tool aimed directly at in-house lawyers. The move rattled investors who had long viewed the sector as an AI winner. In London, Relx fell close [...]
LBC owner loses £140m despite revenue marching towards £1bn January 5, 2026 Global, the media giant behind the likes of radio stations LBC, Capital and Heart, lost £140m during its latest financial year despite its revenue continuing its march towards £1bn. The London-headquartered business, which also includes Smooth, Radio X and Classic FM, has reported its latest pre-tax loss after also losing £120.3m in the prior 12 [...]
Bank of England warns of rising global threat as lenders’ capital rules slashed December 2, 2025 The Bank of England has warned of increased global risks to financial stability, even as it slashed rules imposed on UK lenders dictating the amount of capital they must hold. The central bank said “risks to financial stability have increased during 2025”. “Global risks remain elevated and material uncertainty in the global macroeconomic outlook persists,” [...]
Banks gear up for boost with loosening of capital rules December 1, 2025 UK banks are gearing up to supercharge the government’s growth agenda with reforms to lenders’ capital requirements set to unlock billions of free cash. The Bank of England is set to take the chop to rules around capital requirements, as part of a “fresh up” of rules in a six-month review to be published on [...]
Business rates burden to disproportionately hit London offices October 28, 2025 The upcoming change in how business rates are calculated will affect far more office-based firms in London than elsewhere and may cause a rise in closures, according to a new report. The business tax reforms, scheduled for next April, will introduce a higher rate of payment for properties worth over £500,000. The new multiplier for [...]
Banking watchdog boss warns easing capital rules ‘highly risky’ October 22, 2025 The head of the UK’s banking watchdog has warned of high risk if the UK loosens its rules around lenders’ capital framework as the government pushes for economic growth. Sam Woods, the head of the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA), said requiring banks to no longer set aside capital for top-tier sovereign bonds would “be equivalent [...]
Passive investing is strangling UK capital markets October 9, 2025 Passive investment funds have become both free riders and absentee landlords, says Charles Hall Passive investment has become a key driver of global and UK equity markets. From being relatively insignificant 20 years ago it is now a key component. Given that growth in passive investing is likely to be inexorable, it is time we [...]