Banking watchdog launches deregulation push as tax fears grow September 22, 2025 Britain’s banking watchdog has laid out plans to slash regulation across the industry in a bid to sweeten the sector’s operating environment. In fresh proposals hoping to cut the red tape on the sector, the PRA identified 37 “individual reporting templates” which have “overlapping and complex requirements” in a bid to ease the administrative cost [...]
Motor finance: BMW sets aside over £200m for car mis-selling September 22, 2025 BMW’s UK car finance arm has set aside over £200m to cover a potential hit from the motor finance scandal. The firm joins a batch of British lenders and motor companies, which have been forced to prepare provisions with millions of drivers eligible for compensation. In July, the Supreme Court handed City banks a lukewarm [...]
Natwest and HSBC shares dip as bank tax chatter heats up September 22, 2025 Shares in Natwest and HSBC dipped on Monday morning as traders digested renewed chatter of a tax hike on Britain’s banking giants. Natwest tumbled as much as 1.3 per cent to 506p when markets opened, while HSBC fell 0.6 per cent to 1,022p. Barclays fell nearly 0.2 per cent to 381p. Lloyds was broadly flat [...]
Labour considers relaxing global talent visa in answer to Trump’s clampdown September 22, 2025 A UK government task force is considering plans to remove fee costs for the global talent visa after the US slapped a $100,000 charge on one of its key worker visas. On Friday night, President Trump put hundreds of thousands of workers on high alert after he signed an executive order adding a hefty business [...]
City asked to contribute £120m Rachel Reeves’ stock market push September 22, 2025 Rachel Reeves’ major advertising push to re-invigorate the London market is expected to cost the City £120m, new documents have revealed. The campaign, which is being led by the Investment Association, was announced as part of Reeves’ Mansion House package where the Chancellor made her pro-business plea to the City. But smaller financial services firms [...]
Government approves £2.2bn Gatwick second runway September 22, 2025 Gatwick Airport’s £2.2 billion second runway plan could create thousands of jobs and help “kickstart the economy”, Rachel Reeves said. In the privately-financed project, the West Sussex airport will move its emergency runway 12 metres north, enabling it to be used for departures of narrow-bodied planes such as Airbus A320s and Boeing 737s. This will [...]
KPMG: UK taxes to rise steadily to combat mounting public spending pressures September 22, 2025 The UK government faces tough tax choices in the years ahead with mounting public spending pressures versus sluggish economic growth, according to new forecasts. Economists for KPMG said it had been an unexpectedly strong start to 2025 but the second half was looking more uncertain. The accountancy giant is forecasting UK gross domestic product (GDP) [...]
Fewer than 1 in 5 senior finance roles held by women September 22, 2025 Women make up less than 20 per cent of senior leadership roles at UK financial services businesses, highlighting the persistent gender gap at the top of the industry. According to new data by employment law firm Fox & Partners, out of the 66,860 senior executives in UK financial services businesses, only 12,430 are held by [...]
Trump’s trade war pushes exports and people to UK September 20, 2025 President Donald Trump’s brutal tariffs have pushed Canadian exporters across the pond, fresh data has shown, with further US policies on immigration also expected to draw more workers towards the UK. Official figures by Statistics Canada show that the country’s exports to the UK spiked by as much as 63 per cent in the months [...]
Economists tell Rachel Reeves to target wealthy pensioners September 20, 2025 Chancellor Rachel Reeves should target wealthy pensioners to ease pressures on the public purse and allow infrastructure investment pledges to be protected, top economists and former ministers have said. Former Cabinet secretary Gus O’Donnell, ex Tory minister and Goldman Sachs executive Jim O’Neill, and top economists including Mariana Mazzucato have urged the government to “rebalance” [...]