Business As Usual | City AM
Matt Kenyon and Martin Kimber bring you all the business news you need to start your day.
Business As Usual drops in your podcast feed at 6am Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays.
We aim to make economics, business and politics as accessible and entertaining as possible.
Featuring big-name guests, City AM journalists and market analysts, this is the only podcast you'll need to sound informed for the first meeting of your day.
Episodes
63 episodes
Burnham vows to outlaw fake discounts, Italian cheese puts loans at risk & the AI that hacked a gym
Andy Burnham has vowed to outlaw fake discounts and crack down on stealth subscriptions as he pledges to deliver “breathing room” on the cost of living. Chief Reporter, Ali Lyon has the details.Meanwhile the hot weather has triggered fea...
Guinness-maker Diageo's shares rocket, DeLonghi boss on coffee machine market & pensioners face tax sting
Results from the firm behind Guinness, Johnnie Walker and Tanqueray showed sales have slipped – and yet the shares in Diageo are up. City Editor Simon Hunt explains why. Meanwhile, UK coffee drinkers continue to move further up mark...
Government ditches DEI targets, Revolut CEO to become UK's richest man & the NIMBYs at war with Twickenham
The Prime Minister's chief enforcer, Louise Haigh, has said net zero, modern slavery and equality rules are set to be stripped from procurement rules as Andy Burnham tries to prioritise job creation. Politics and Economics Reporter, Mauricio Al...
Revolut CEO Nik Storonsky sued over superyacht, Apple sues the Home Office & OAPs boost the FTSE
The founder of Revolut, Nik Storonsky, is being sued for €17.5mn for allegedly avoiding paying commission on a €350mn superyacht. City Editor Simon Hunt has the story. Meanwhile Apple is taking the Home Office to court over an attem...
The winners and losers of Healey's first budget, supermarkets accused of profiteering, & who might replace Infantino?
The date for John Healey's first budget as Chancellor is in the diary, and we discuss who the winners and losers might be. Meanwhile, Retail Reporter, Felix Armstrong joins us on a warning from the Chancellor to supermarkets against...
Bank of England hampers Burnham’s jobs drive, EasyJet takeover up in the air, and Ferrari's EV hits sales target
Interest rates look set to stay higher for longer, putting more pressure on borrowers – including the country’s biggest borrower, the government. The Bank of England’s MPC's decision to hold interest rates also hampers Andy Burnham's drive to s...
Greggs opens Tenerife bakery: stock soars, why the Middle East can't get enough Vimto, and how to sell a World Cup
One of the most shorted stocks on the FTSE, Greggs, saw its shares rise after a trading update in which the chain announced it was opening a bakery in Tenerife. Chief Reporter Ali Lyon has the story. Meanwhile more British traveller...
Inflation slashes Burnham's budget by £24bn, pension boss calls for ban on US shares in ISAs & Unilever boosted by avocado mayo
Britain’s new chancellor, John Healey, faces a £24 billion real spending squeeze by the end of the decade, due to higher and more persistent inflation. Chief Reporter, Ali Lyon explains what that means for the autumn Budget. Meanwhi...
Scottish tax hikes backfire, Waitrose searches for new store locations & the one West-End musical to avoid
The Scottish government’s decision to hike the top rate of income tax may have backfired. That’s according to analysis from the lawyer Dan Neidle, who suggests raising rates north of the border actually led to lower receipts. Chief Reporter, Al...
Burnham's £100m pub bailout, Brits ditch the Sunday roast, and why AI is killing human creativity
Andy Burnham has announced a 20% cut to business rates for pubs, clubs and music venues. The government claims £100m commitment will be funded by cracking down on businesses, like vape shops and tax-avoidant online sellers, which they say “do n...
Burnham's £22bn bombshell, Amex boss on High St shopping & cricket teams feel the financial pinch
We’re three days into Andy Burnham’s premiership and he's already racked up billions in spending pledges. On his treasury shopping list he’s committed to a VAT cut on energy bills, a vow to end rough sleeping, and the reintroduction...
New Chancellor in place, another FTSE company poached & Welsh fintech hires Kazakhstan burger baron
John Healey has been confirmed as the new Chancellor of the Exchequer - we get reaction from our City Editor, Simon Hunt plus City grandee and activist investor, Christopher Mills, Chief Executive of Harwood Private Equity (who doesn't hold bac...
Andy Burnham becomes Prime Minister: what it means for the economy, politics and you
Andy Burnham has officially been invited by the King to form a government, and outside Downing Street, and without a lectern, the new PM promised to lay out a 10 year plan for Britain. City Editor, Simon Hunt explains what it means for the econ...
British Steel is nationalised, small businesses despair, and Shabana for Chancellor?
The government has brought British Steel under state ownership after the steelmaker’s nationalisation passed a public interest test. Chief Reporter Ali Lyon explains what happens next. Meanwhile, only 1 in 6 small businesses expects...
James Watt makes Brewdog offer, triple lock under fire, Rachel Reeves’ parting warning
On the podcast today... An audacious offer from the Brewdog founder James Watt to buy back his old firm. A worrying new report from the OECD that the triple lock on state pensions is putting serious pressure on the British economy.&...
Tom Kerridge on hospitality crisis, the wealth tax that MIGHT work plus why France is still vital to the UK economy
Celebrity chef, Tom Kerridge, has told City AM that the benefits of a 10% cut in VAT on hospitality would far outweigh the negatives. Speaking to City AM's Retail Reporter, Felix Armstrong, Mr Kerridge took aim at tax expert Dan Neidle, who has...
Rachel Reeves's legacy, JP Morgan CEO Jamie Dimon questioned on Epstein, and Wimbledon winners' tax
As Rachel Reeves likely enters her final week as Chancellor before Andy Burnham's coronation, we look back on her legacy with the help of City Editor, Simon Hunt. Meanwhile the world's most influential banker and JP Morgan CEO, Jami...
Hugo Boss takeover offer branded "inadequate", government considers VPN ban, National Grid struggles as Brits blast aircon
Hugo Boss has urged its investors to reject the “inadequate” £1.7bn takeover tabled by Mike Ashley’s Frasers Group after the retail giant behind Sports Direct and House of Fraser launched a move to take control last month. City Editor Simon Hun...
Trump calls off Iran ceasefire, Virgin Media O2 fined, and Jet2 boosted by jet fuel prices
Markets are reeling after Donald Trump called an end to the fragile ceasefire with Iran. Senior City Reporter, Sam Norman explains the consequences for the UK. Meanwhile the media watchdog slams Virgin Media O2 for making it too har...
House prices rise, M&S shareholders demand longer skirts, and why Wimbledon's Centre Court seats lie empty
The latest Lloyds House Price Index indicates UK house prices have risen for the first time in weeks - but what does it mean for homeowners in London? Meanwhile M&S has updated shareholders and faced a backlash for its newer, sh...
Sky buys chunk of ITV, what the City makes of Burnham, and $8m World Cup tickets
City editor Simon Hunt tackles the big corporate stories: Sky is buying ITV’s broadcasting arm for £1.6bn; Ocado's chief executive will step down after a long boardroom battle, Nigel Farage backed crypto venture loses more than a third of its v...
INTERVIEW: UK boss of Charles Schwab on markets, SpaceX IPO and investment opportunities in 2026
Our investment reporter, Maisie Grice speaks to the UK boss of the world’s largest brokerage firm. Richard Flynn is the UK Managing director of Charles Schwab which has over $12 trillion under management. He came in to c...
Motor finance compensation in doutbt, Thatcher aide on 'No. 10 North' and: what is co-living?
The financial conduct authority has suspended parts of its £9bn motor finance ruling after a venomous response from industry and consumer groups. Senior City Reporter Sam Norman has the story. Meanwhile, Politics and Economics Repor...
Brewdog CEO quits after just one year, the business of social housing, and banks eye digital ID
The chief executive of Brewdog has resigned after just a year, and so far, it doesn’t look clear if he’ll be replaced at all. Simon Hunt has the details. Meanwhile, Andy Burnham has pledged the biggest social housebuilding drive in ...
Why Italian aristocrats want to mine uranium, the FTSE half-year review, and Canary Wharf is BACK
A firm run by Italian aristocrats planning to mine uranium in northern Italy, has drawn up plans for a London float as it seeks to capitalise on renewed interest in nuclear technology. City Editor, Simon Hunt explains why. Meanwhile...