Get ahead of the trends and conversations that are shaping the City of London. Join Bloomberg's Francine Lacqua, Allegra Stratton and Dave Merritt every Thursday as they uncover the best stories and speak to the people in the know.
According to new polling, the party led by Nigel Farage now stands at 34% support, nine points ahead of Labour and well ahead of the Conservatives. Hosts Francine Lacqua and David Merritt sit down with Zia Yusuf, head of Reform UK’s own “Department for Government Efficiency,” to explore the party’s rapid ascent and the political undercurrents driving it. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
It’s no secret the Labour government’s policy to tax the UK’s wealthiest as part of its effort to fix a budget crisis left by the Conservatives has caused Prime Minister Keir Starmer some headaches. The biggest exodus of wealth in the UK’s recent history appears to be underway , and the data shows the departure is likely to be a drain on the economy . But is it enough for Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves to change course? And should she? Bloomberg reporter Benjamin Stupples joins host A...
London has long prided itself on being a global tech hub, promoting the image of a thriving and ambitious capital for innovation. But that reputation is beginning to slip. Major UK fintech firms like Revolut and Wise are shifting their focus—and listings—to the US, drawn by stronger valuations, deeper market liquidity and better access to compute infrastructure. As more companies look across the Atlantic, can London live up to the tech center image it projects? In this week’s episode of In the C...
With the UK government’s spending review fast approaching, all eyes are on Westminster. In a matter of days, the public will gain a clearer sense of how funding is set to be allocated across departments over the next three years. There’s growing speculation that Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves will make a significant push on infrastructure—a signal, perhaps, of shifting priorities. In this week’s episode of In the City , hosts Allegra Stratton and Francine Lacqua sit down with Sam Rich...
Today's show features a special episode from Bloomberg's Merryn Talks Your Money mini-series on how to navigate the UK housing market. Professor Yolande Barnes at University College London joins host Merryn Somerset Webb to discuss the market as a whole: what’s the outlook for home prices, what’s the best strategy when purchasing your first property and why the UK is at risk of an oversupply in houses. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
Francine Lacqua hosts this week's episode from the Qatar Economic Forum in Doha, where she and guests Matthew Martin, a Bloomberg senior reporter covering sovereign wealth funds, and Bloomberg deals reporter Dinesh Nair, discuss the wave of dealmaking emerging from the Middle East. Following US President Donald Trump’s recent visit to the region, the White House announced that Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates have made over $1 trillion in new economic commitments to the US, albei...
The UK government’s plan to scrap the “non-dom” tax status—a policy that allowed wealthy foreign residents to avoid taxes on overseas income—was designed to close a loophole and raise billions of pounds in tax revenue. However, according to a new study from the Centre for Economics and Business Research, it might end up costing the economy more than it brings in if just one in four of the 74,000 people affected chooses to leave the country. In this week’s episode of In the City, hosts Allegra St...
It's been a whirlwind week for UK trade — first a deal with India, and now, a surprise announcement: a US-UK trade agreement. With aims to reduce trade barriers and increase market access for American imports and industrial exports, this latest deal sets the stage for closer economic ties between the two countries. Hosts David Merritt and Francine Lacqua speak with Dan Hanson from Bloomberg Economics to unpack the US-UK trade deal and what it could mean for the UK's broader economic outlook. See...
London is closing the gap with New York for the title of world’s top financial center, according to the latest Global Financial Centres Index. Is it a signal that the the UK’s efforts to rejuvenate its banking and investment sectors post-Brexit are starting to pay off? On this week’s In The City, host David Merritt sits down with Chris Hayward, Policy Chairman of the City of London Corp., who makes the argument it is. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
On Tuesday, Megan Greene, one of the Bank of England’s most hawkish policymakers, said that while President Donald Trump’s wave of global tariffs is likely to raise prices in the US, the effect in the UK could be the opposite. “I think that the tariffs actually represent more of a disinflationary risk than an inflationary risk,” she says. On this week’s In The City , host Francine Lacqua sits down with Bloomberg UK economy reporter Tom Rees to break down Greene’s comments. They explore how US ta...
On this week's In the City , hosts Allegra Stratton and David Merritt delve into the likely nationalization of British Steel and how the crisis at the Chinese-owned company is forcing the Labour government to rethink its relationship with Beijing. Featuring Bloomberg Opinion columnist Matthew Brooker and senior economics reporter Philip Aldrick, the discussion probes conflicting views on China's role as a UK trade partner, and the broader economic implications amid current UK-US trade talks. See...
Host Francine Lacqua, sits down with founder of Bridgewater Associates, Ray Dalio. They discuss a turbulent week in markets and identify driving forces, which shape economies and fuel the rise and fall of nations. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
On this week’s In the City , host Francine Lacqua discusses the rise of private credit amid economic uncertainty driven in large part by US President Donald Trump and his global trade war. Joined by Bloomberg senior reporter Silas Brown, Lacqua looks at how key figures like Blackrock Chief Executive Officer Larry Fink have emphasized a shift towards private markets, and the importance of non-publicly traded opportunities as a way for average Americans to build wealth. The discussion also include...
UK Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves has delivered her Spring Statement, and Bloomberg Chief UK Economist Dan Hanson and senior reporter Phil Aldrick join host Allegra Stratton to share their assessment. Aldrick posits that it wasn't "quite the horror show that some people were fearing" because restoring Britain's fiscal headroom didn't require severe public service and welfare cuts. But Hanson notes that even so, she's left herself little room to manoeuvre for the unexpected. See omnyst...
Eight months after Labour’s landslide victory, Bloomberg examines if the UK government is on track to meet key election pledges. Senior reporter Phil Aldrick and Bloomberg Economics chief UK economist Dan Hanson join hosts Francine Lacqua and Allegra Stratton. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
In this week’s episode of In the City , we explore whether more European businesses will decouple from American companies and Wall Street. Bloomberg deals correspondent Dinesh Nair describes the Trump-induced separation as yet another “unprecedented” rupture initiated by the Republican president. But it could be good news for Europe in the long run, being the spark needed the unify and galvanize European leaders into securing their own defense industries and economies. “I’m not sure if he’s maki...
Leaders across European capitals are scrambling to work out what the withdrawal of US military aid means for Ukraine and Europe’s security as a whole. Led by UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, a “coalition of the willing” has been formed to support Ukraine both financially and militarily. But will it be enough? To help us answer that question, host Allegra Stratton is joined by Tom Tugendhat, a Conservative member of Parliament who previously served as security minister. He says the return of Donal...
Hosts Francine Lacqua and Allegra Stratton speak with Damian Shepherd, the reporter looking into allegations of misconduct at London real estate agency, Foxtons. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Skipton Group CEO Stuart Haire joins host Dave Merritt to explain where British homebuyers can get the most for their money and to discuss the latest data from Skipton’s Home Affordability Index. They also discuss the UK’s wider affordability problem for first-time buyers. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Last weekend, Bloomberg revealed that activist investor Elliott Investment Management had built a large stake in BP Plc . BP shares climbed as the news broke, perhaps attributable to the fact that Elliott has a track record of driving significant change within companies. Investors may also see this as a timely intervention, given BP’s performance has slumped over the past few years, relative to its competitors. On this week’s In The City , hosts Francine Lacqua and Allegra Stratton sit down with...
Francine Lacqua sits down with Dan Hanson, chief UK economist at Bloomberg Economics, to discuss how tariffs on the EU would complicate its relationship with the UK, and how the UK is bracing for tit-for-tat tariff policies. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Bloomberg Opinion columnist Parmy Olson joins Francine Lacqua and Allegra Stratton to explain what DeepSeek’s surprise innovation means for the UK and everyone else. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
On the sidelines of the conference, Dave Merritt sat down with Thierry Mallaret. Thierry is an economist who has worked as an adviser for major investment banks and governments. He also founded and headed the Global Risk Network at WEF and for a number of years in succession, he conceived and put in place the program for the annual Davos meeting. He'a also the author of Deaths at Davos , and now Deaths at Davos 2.0, dark satires of what's really going in within the WEF. They discuss how the dram...
The global elite gathered in Davos this week but the conversation centered on Trump back in DC. Businessweek Editor Brad Stone joins Francine Lacqua and Dave Merritt on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum to make sense of the Stargate announcement, the Elon Musk-Sam Altman spat and when the alliance between Big Tech and Trump could sour. They also discuss pessimism about Europe and why everyone at Davos is talking about Chinese AI start-up DeepSeek. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy ...
Is modern technology ruining our children? In a live taping before an audience at Bloomberg House in Davos, Francine Lacqua sits down with author of "The Anxious Generation" and social psychologist Jonathan Haidt to tackle that question. They discuss the impact of social media on Gen Z's childhoods, and how that might shape their potential as a workforce. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Economist Jim O’Neill says that UK market moves have been exaggerated, but Labour still needs to convince investors its plans are sound. O’Neill also discusses what Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves faces going forward. If we are entering a bear market on global bonds, he says, Reeves has an issue with her fiscal framework. But it’s still not time to be an alarmist. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
It’s been a rough week for UK assets. The pound fell to its lowest level in a year, gilt yields surged and investors are losing confidence in the government’s ability to control the nation’s deficit and high borrowing costs. Why are things spiraling now? Senior reporter Phil Aldrick joins this week’s In the City to explain. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Established in 1689, Lloyd’s of London is a marketplace housing different insurers that sell policies in the UK and around the world. Lloyd’s received more than £50 billion worth of premiums in 2024 alone. All of this is overseen by Chief Executive Officer John Neal, who’s been in the insurance industry for more than four decades. In this episode of In the City , Neal sits down with hosts Francine Lacqua, David Merritt and Allegra Stratton to discuss the difficulties of using artificial intellig...
In 2023, Credit Suisse collapsed, shaking the foundations of the global banking establishment. But for onlookers who were aware of the lender’s numerous afflictions, it’s sudden demise was no surprise at all. From one perspective, the bank’s succession of scandals arguably started as early as its founding some 167 years ago. One of those observers who saw it coming was Bloomberg editor Duncan Mavin, author of Meltdown: Greed, Scandal, and the Collapse of Credit Suisse . Mavin has covered banking...
When UBS agreed to buy Credit Suisse in March 2023, it was a pivotal moment for European banking. The government-brokered deal was considered historic and its success was instrumental in containing a crisis that had started to spread across global financial markets. At the center of its success has been Beatriz Martin, head of non-core and legacy operations. Her role is key to this massive restructuring as she sifts through Credit Suisse’s assets and decides which ones to keep and which to wind ...
