Guy Hands is, perhaps unsurprisingly, bearish on the UK. The famous financier and chairman of private equity firm Terra Firma says Britain is in a “sort of geriatric decline,” with its post-Brexit business outlook and investment case getting worse every day. Hands tells David Merritt and Francine Lacqua on this week’s episode of In the City that if the UK maintains its weakened relationship with the European Union, it’s destined to be poorer on a relative basis than the bloc.  Hands, who backed the Remain side in 2016, recently said he’d stop making donations to the Conservatives after the government rejected the possibility of a closer trade deal with the EU. Now he supports Labour because they seem “marginally better.” See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Confederation of British Industry is fighting for survival. Known for a half-century as the voice of almost 200,000 UK companies and having the ear of the government, the CBI is now in crisis. In this week’s In the City, reporter Sabah Meddings explores how a 300-employee organization that spoke out against sexual harassment is now unraveling as police investigate allegations of sexual assault.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There’s a new investment playbook being used by central banks, one that spells opportunity for those who know the rules. This according to Alex Brazier, deputy head of BlackRock’s Investment Institute, who tells In the City that—for investors who can get granular in volatile markets—there’s money to made.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

British entrepreneur Nick Candy is best known for working alongside his brother Christian to create One Hyde Park, a residential development in London’s exclusive Knightsbridge district and home to some of the world’s richest people. When sales opened in 2007, the building was smashing world per-square-foot price records. In this week’s episode of In the City, Candy tells David Merritt and Francine Lacqua that his next project in Dubai will beat those records. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The luxury industry is booming. Just look at the latest figures from LVMH and Hermes. Or as Harrods Managing Director Michael Ward says in this week’s episode of In the City, observe the foot traffic in his storied London department store. While mid-market labels are feeling the squeeze, super-brands like Chanel and Dior are thriving, Ward explains. “The great thing about the luxury industry is it’s price insensitive,” he says. “The rich get richer, and that’s the world.” See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Most of the recent headlines out of Paris focus on strikes and protests. But underneath the heaps of rubbish that were piled up on the city’s streets (and possibly again soon), is an increasingly important hub for global finance. In recent months, we’ve seen big banks like Goldman Sachs, Bank of America, Deutsche Bank and Citigroup expand their presence in the French capital, ushering in a new reality for the landscape of European banking.   Francine Lacqua and David Merritt discuss Paris’s growing appeal with reporter Alexandre Rajbhandari and editor Tom Metcalf, and unpack the challenges facing President Emmanuel Macron’s pro-business agenda with Paris Bureau Chief Alan Katz. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The outlook for the UK has improved in recent months, with a technical recession now looking like it will be avoided, according to Bloomberg Economics. In fact, the team sees GDP growth in 2023 of 0.1%, up from -0.4%.  Jim Mellon, chairman of Burnbrae, is predicting an even brighter picture. In this week’s In the City, he tells hosts David Merritt and Francine Lacqua to look out for 1 to 2% growth this year, thanks to a more stable government, an influx of migrants and gas prices falling sharply.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jim O’Neill, the former UK Conservative minister and Goldman Sachs chief economist, says he doesn’t miss being in banking. And no, he wouldn’t accept an offer like we saw with Sergio Ermotti returning as chief executive at UBS. But when asked on this week’s episode of In the City whether he can explain what’s happening in the industry right now, he’s got some ideas. He also weighs in on the race to buy Manchester United, questioning whether the football club is worth its more than £4 billion price tag. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Another week, another bank in crisis. This time it was Credit Suisse. After tense talks, UBS agreed to buy its former rival in an all-share deal worth about $3.25 billion. With the Swiss government-brokering the sale, Credit Suisse’s 166-year run came to a sudden end.In this week’s In the City, host Francine Lacqua is joined by Bloomberg TV’s Manus Cranny, Bloomberg Opinion columnist Paul J. Davies and reporter Marion Halftermeyer to explain the bank’s fall from grace. They also discuss details of the deal, what happens next for Credit Suisse employees, the challenge facing UBS and why Chairman Colm Kelleher is the person to watch right now.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this week's In the City, the outgoing Legal & General CEO calls for a new focus on business education and talent. He also shares a life lesson from turning down an offer to be CFO at Apple.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.