In the City

It's the end of the year, so we figured it's the right time to look forward to the next. This week, a conversation with reporter Katie Linsell and columnist Andrea Felsted on the outlook for UK spending in 2023. They weigh the resilience of shoppers and retailers going into the new year as bills pile up and savings dwindle. Felsted says that while she's optimistic for Christmas, she's already pessimistic for the next one. And we start the show with reporters from across the London newsroom sharing their predictions for 2023.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Brexit was never going to be easy -- we just haven’t really tried yet. That’s the view of prominent UK economist Gerard Lyons, who tells Francine Lacqua and David Merritt that he remains bullish on Brexit in the long run. Lyons is chief economic strategist at Netwealth and a former adviser to House of Commons leader Penny Mordaunt. On this episode of In the City, he argues the City is still “pretty-well placed” after Brexit. Political crises since 2016, however, have prevented opportunities from being seized, he says. Plus, senior reporter Harry Wilson explains whether the investment insights of a newsletter promoted by Nigel Farage could pay off. The answer? Not so much. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Brexit has consequences. According to the boss of Europe’s largest exchange group, one of them is that London is no longer the region's dominant financial center. But that's not the worst of it. Euronext Chief Executive Stephane Boujnah tells David Merritt and Francine Lacqua that restrictions on the movement of people, and how that's changing the fabric of finance both in the City and across Europe, will do more damage.Also on this episode of In the City, editor Tom Metcalf discusses the darkening mood within many banks and what that means for finance jobs and bonuses. He also says City Minister Andrew Griffith's coming announcement regarding the government's package of post-Brexit reforms is likely to be a muted affair. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A new development this week in the UK government's efforts to deregulate the City of London may be relaxing the ring-fencing around banks, according to a person familiar with Treasury plans. Editor Katherine Griffiths joins this week and asks whether the move is "a small whimper that they're packaging as a big bang." Plus, a conversation with the new Lord Mayor of London, Nicholas Lyons. He shares his vision for the City and says it's time to work together to take advantage of regulatory freedom and capture what he considers the positive aspects of Brexit. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Unequal pay in finance is no surprise to many who work in the City, but women might have a new tool for fighting it thanks to Stacey Macken, a former broker at BNP Paribas in London. Macken fought the French lender in court for more than eight years for equal pay, and now her victory may encourage a wave of other women to come forward. In addition to being awarded 2 million pounds after the tribunal ruled Macken had been a victim of “spiteful and vindictive” bosses, the tribunal also ordered BNP to conduct an extensive audit of its London staff to consider whether men were being paid more than women for the same job.In this week's In the City podcast, Bloomberg legal reporter Jonathan Browning unpacks the details of the case and ruling, and we hear from Stacey Macken and her barrister Sheila Aly as they share their experiences of the "David and Goliath" battle. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's the story of the week. London is no longer home to Europe's biggest stock market. That prize has been taken by Paris. This week on the podcast, David Merritt speaks to reporter Joe Easton. He unpacks the numbers and reflects on the causes. We also cross the channel and speak to reporter Albertina Torsoli on how Paris made itself more attractive to foreign investors, and how that heightened interest is changing the Paris landscape.  Read the story here. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's In the City in the desert. Francine Lacqua is in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, covering the COP27 climate talks. She sits down with Allegra Stratton, contributing editor and author of The Readout, as well as Akshat Rathi, senior reporter and host of the podcast Zero. They address the increasing skepticism surrounding the UK's commitment to its net-zero targets and the "show me the money" theme of this year's conference.Sign up for The Readout with Allegra Stratton here:https://www.bloomberg.com/account/newsletters/readout See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It may feel like a lifetime, but less than three weeks ago the UK had a different prime minister, a different Chancellor of the Exchequer and a brewing conflict between the government and the Bank of England. Former Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng and BOE Governor Andrew Bailey were at loggerheads as the deadline for the central bank to end a bond-buying program neared. Cue the blame game with Kwarteng saying any fresh turmoil in markets would be “a matter for the governor.” But Bailey didn't budge. And days after that deadline passed, Kwarteng was out of a job and Truss wasn't far behind.In this episode of In the City, senior reporter Phil Aldrick and correspondent Lizzy Burden join David Merritt in a conversation about the tension between the government and the BOE, how Bailey navigated both the market turmoil and pressure from Westminster, and what fresh problems now face the governor. And here's a list of all the things you need to sign up for:For a daily look at the stories that matter in the UK, sign up now for our newsletter, The Readout with Allegra Stratton: https://www.bloomberg.com/account/newsletters/readoutAnd to figure out what all that means for your money--sign up for John Stepek's daily newsletter Money Distilled. https://www.bloomberg.com/account/newsletters/uk-wealth See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this bonus episode of In the City, we bring you highlights from Francine's exclusive conversation with Barclays CEO C.S. Venkatakrishnan. He joined her on Bloomberg “Front Row” in his first television interview since taking the top job a year ago.Check out the full interview here: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/videos/2022-10-31/front-row-c-s-venkatakrishnan-barclays-ceo-video  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is being heralded by some in the City as "a safe pair of hands" due in part to his resume: An MBA from Stanford University, a stint at Goldman Sachs and some time at The Children’s Investment Fund. But while many finance professionals say they're appreciative of Sunak's moderate tone, some are worried their dream of a reformed, City of London 2.0 is dead.In this week's In the City, David and Francine speak to Bloomberg editors Katherine Griffiths and Tom Metcalf about Sunak's vision (such as it is) for the City, what his leadership means for a post-Brexit Britain and mounting concerns from banks about the possibility of higher taxes to keep the UK afloat.Plus, senior executive editor Simon Kennedy joins to discuss his discovery of a "Goldman globe." Since the end of 2005, there have only been about 48 hours in which an alumnus of the Wall Street giant didn't hold either the position of prime minister, finance minister, central bank chief or their equivalents in a G-7 country.For a daily look at the stories that matter in the UK, sign up now for our newsletter, The Readout with Allegra Stratton: https://www.bloomberg.com/account/newsletters/readoutAnd to figure out what all that means for your money--sign up for John Stepek's daily newsletter Money Distilled. https://www.bloomberg.com/account/newsletters/uk-wealth See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.