Super Kemi, the London Stock Exchange’s new bell and toasting the Toast Awards; catch up on the latest gossip in The Capitalist

IT’S-A-ME, KEMI

Nigel Farage often talks about the need to “have fun” while riling against the government’s policies, and anyone tuning into yesterday’s Budget would certainly have observed parliament’s love for laughing, ha-ha-ing and waving one’s Budget in the air. But it seems no one is having more fun than CCHQ workers.

Sam Gibbs, who works for shadow policing minister Matt Vickers, has created a web game called ‘Super Kemi’, currently making its way around the Commons.
It works just like Super Mario Bros. except you play with frontbench characters Claire Coutinho, Andrew Bowie, Andrew Griffith and, of course, Kemi Badenoch herself.
The mission is to “run, jump and repeal your way through six worlds of red tape”, beginning with a pixellated drab British high street, and then storm Public Control Castle” to set growth free. You get power-ups in the form of ‘Team Kemi star’, which makes you unstoppable for eight seconds. A ‘cheap power’ item allows you to throw “REPEAL” scrolls. And the ‘Golden Rule’ power-up allows you to take an extra hit. But look out for obstacles including the vile £100,000 cliff tax trap and nasty net zero subsidies.

The Capitalist promises that City AM reporters have been hard at work covering the Budget and not been distracted by silly politics… but if you’re interested, you can play at superkemi.co.uk

LSE BRINGS OUT THE BELLS AND WHISTLES

City grandees were crammed onto the London Stock Exchange balcony this Tuesday to mark the 40th anniversary of the Big Bang. And joining them for the first time in decades was a familiar figure – the market’s old bronze bell.

From now, founders and executives will be able to ring in the confetti with a victorious clang – a tentative step towards the added “razzamatazz” the LSE has previously promised. Let’s just hope Abenojar Tungsten, which listed that morning, wasn’t too upset to be bumped for the anniversary celebrations.

TOAST OF THE TOWN

To our annual Toast the City Awards, where over 400 people turned up to toast the City’s hospitality venues and workers. Saturday Kitchen’s Matt Tebbutt delivered a fine speech in partnership with our wine columnist Libby Brodie, and awards won included Best Bar (Humble Grape Bow Lane) and Best Restaurant (Liverpool Street Chop House & Tavern).

Wine was on the house, complimentary from All (good) Things, who perhaps provided a little too much of their aforementioned positive stuff: one trophy winner and City stalwart was spotted making for the exit while his trophy – a glass slice of toast, of course – was left behind on the bar.