FTSE suffers worst day since April amid credit market jitters October 17, 2025 The FTSE 100 suffered its worst session since April on Friday, after a sell-off in US regional banks caused jitters to sweep through global equities markets. Banks led losses on the UK’s blue-chip index as a risk-off mood prevailed across the world, with bond yields falling and the price of gold hitting yet another all-time [...]
Reeves faces ‘Groundhog Day’ as Budget tax hikes loom October 16, 2025 Chancellor Rachel Reeves risks having to hike taxes ever higher in forthcoming budgets if she leaves herself with £9.9bn in headroom, a joint report by Barclays and the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) has warned. The research has suggested that spending cuts would send a “crucial” signal to the bond markets that the government had [...]
UK banks tax rate rises as fears of a budget raid spike October 15, 2025 The tax rate on the UK banking sector rose in the last financial year as the industry braces for a potential hike to its financial burden in the Autumn Budget. A fresh study from banking industry body UK Finance and PwC revealed London lender’s total tax rate rose 0.6 per cent to 46.4 per cent [...]
Leeds Reforms trigger wave of recruitment in legal banking October 14, 2025 Job vacancies for banking lawyers are expected to soar, driven by the government’s Leeds Reforms which seek to unlock capital and overhaul the ring-fencing framework. Labour market analytics from Vacancysoft reveal that Britain’s legal sector is predicting significant growth in banking roles, both in private practice and in-house at major banks. The report projected a [...]
Legal & General’s Canada office hit with suspected vandalism October 14, 2025 The Legal & General headquarters in Canada has been hit with an apparent act of vandalism this morning. Workers heading to the office of the financial services giant, which sits in the heart of the City, witnessed security guards cornering off the building and red paint splattered across windows. Superintendent Jesse Wynne, [...]
Motor finance lenders gear up for ‘forensic test of discipline’ over redress scheme October 8, 2025 The Financial Conduct Authority has softened the motor finance blow for lenders but experts say firms won’t be able to shift into a new gear just yet. The City watchdog has priced the cost of its industry-wide redress scheme at £11bn – a hefty sum but far below the eye-watering £44bn previously floated. Just over [...]
Motor finance: Lloyds, Barclays shares jump as FCA softens blow October 8, 2025 Shares in motor finance lenders rallied on Wednesday morning after the Financial Conduct Authority dropped a major update on its industry-wide redress scheme. Lloyds Banking Group – which owns the UK’s largest motor finance provider, Black Horse – was up over two per cent to 85.06p. Meanwhile, Close Brothers, which just last week set aside [...]
Autumn Budget: Why are banks in Rachel Reeves’ tax crosshairs? October 7, 2025 The “pass the parcel” of Budget speculation has fallen back into the lap of the banking industry with the nation’s top lenders finding themselves as a potential subject of a November cash grab. Fresh reports have indicated Rachel Reeves is actively considering a raid on Britain’s banking giants – even as she continues to make [...]
Rachel Reeves mulls bank tax amid scramble to fill fiscal hole October 6, 2025 Rachel Reeves is reported to be weighing up a tax on Britain’s banking giants as the Treasury looks to strum up cash in the forthcoming Autumn Budget. The Chancellor is expected to be staring down a fiscal blackhole of over £20bn come November 26 and banks have been viewed as an easy – and politically [...]
Net zero banking group abandons operations after member exodus October 3, 2025 The global Net Zero Banking Alliance (NZBA) has announced it will cease operations following an exodus of its membership after President Donald Trump returned to power. In a statement released on Friday, the group said following a vote it will transfer from a member-based alliance to establish its guidance as a framework. “As a result [...]