Rate setter calls for market digitalisation and touts Bank of England’s flexibility April 29, 2025 Bank of England rate setter Dave Ramsden has called for bold action on digitalisation in a rebuke of concerns that the Bank’s prescriptive rules were stifling innovation. Speaking at the Innovate Finance Global Summit on Tuesday, the central bank Deputy Governor said widespread innovation in wholesale financial markets from authorities and industry would boost the [...]
Santander to shut 95 branches – putting 750 jobs at risk March 19, 2025 Santander announced a flurry of branch closures on Wednesday, which will place up to 750 employees at risk of redundancy. The bank, which is one of the UK’s most prominent mortgage lenders, will close 95 of its 444 branches as part of a structural overhaul that will begin in June 2025. Its updated branches network [...]
Analysis: What do Starmer’s reforms actually mean – and can they work? March 15, 2025 Sir Keir Starmer has announced his reform plans to make the British state more “innovative and effective”. The Prime Minister unveiled a series of new measures on Thursday, including the headline abolition of NHS England – the arms-length body which runs the NHS in England. But Sir Keir also spoke about his broader ambitions to [...]
Tech secretary Peter Kyle asks ChatGPT about UK businesses, AI and podcasts March 14, 2025 The UK’s technology secretary Peter Kyle has asked ChatGPT questions about UK businesses, artificial intelligence (AI) and even what podcasts he should appear on. A Freedom of Information (FoI) request submitted by the New Scientist magazine revealed Kyle, who leads the Department of Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) has been making regular use of the [...]
Businesses are ditching card terminals for smart phones March 3, 2025 New data has revealed that the use of tap-to-phone technology—where businesses turn smartphones into point-of-sale devices (POS)—has boomed over the last year. In the UK, tap-to-phone adoption has exploded by 320 per cent in the last 12 months, compared to the global average growth rate of 200 per cent. Visa research showed that small businesses [...]
UK resumes tech-focused trade talks with South Korea November 5, 2024 The UK is resuming trade talks with South Korea with discussions focused on boosting tech and digital services. British negotiators have flown to Seoul to meet South Korean counterparts today as talks restart in a bid to secure a modern, digital-focused trade agreement. It is the first time the discussions have recommenced under the Labour [...]
‘Massive opportunity’ for UK firms as digital services could save public 75,000 years April 24, 2024 Digitising the UK’s government services could save Brits a collective 75,000 years of lost time annually and represents a “massive opportunity” for firms, new data has revealed.