Can the UK Spending Review Turn Ambition into Action?

On this week’s In the City, hosts Allegra Stratton and Francine Lacqua are joined by James Kanagasooriam, chief research officer at Focaldata, to unpack how AI is reshaping employment. The conversation explores how AI’s ripple effects are hitting the white-collar sector in the UK, from shrinking graduate job pipelines to the potential collapse of middle-class tax bases.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves delivered the annual Mansion House speech to the key players in London’s financial sector this week. Bloomberg’s City Editor Katherine Griffiths joins host Francine Lacqua to discuss how the City reacted to the Chancellor's announcements, particularly reforms to ring-fencing rules.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Earlier this year, the UK government directed its antitrust watchdog, the Competition and Markets Authority, to be "less risk averse" and to align more closely with its pro-growth agenda. We invited the CMA's interim chair Doug Gurr to update us on that mission and to explain what the group is doing to support the government's pledge to make it easier for businesses and the economy to grow. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Just a few months ago, the UK housing market seemed to be finding its footing. That hope has since faded. In June, house prices fell to their lowest rate in over two years, according to new figures from Nationwide Building Society. This surprised economists who had been expecting a small uptick. The decline follows the government’s April decision to raise transaction taxes—a move that’s added to the burden for buyers already grappling with high borrowing costs. On this week’s In the City, host Allegra Stratton is joined by Bloomberg Opinion columnist Marcus Ashworth and European real estate reporter Damian Shepherd to examine the UK housing market’s slowdown—and what might come next.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 Allegra Stratton to discuss. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 City, host Francine Lacqua speaks with Bloomberg editor Amy Thomson to explore whether London is keeping pace or simply masking its decline.Read more: https://www.bloomberg.com/features/2025-european-startups-to-watch/ https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-06-10/europe-s-ipo-drought-has-stock-exchanges-battling-for-listingsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 Richards, chief executive of the think tank Britain Remade to unpack the upcoming review and step back to look at the bigger picture: Could this mark a real turning point? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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, albeit with few details. These proposed deals are to span a range of key sectors, from defense and aviation to artificial intelligence. If completed, they would signal a major push toward strategic partnerships and long-term diversification. In this episode, we explore how business leaders are interpreting Trump's trip and what the region's evolving relationship with the US means to the investment landscape going forward. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.