SNP under fire for £5 deal with steel tycoon Sanjeev Gupta July 25, 2022 Scottish ministers are facing transparency calls after it was revealed a metal tycoon under investigation for fraud paid just £5 towards the acquisition of a Highlands smelting plant – with taxpayers financing the rest of the £330 million deal. Entrepreneur Sanjeev Gupta, chief executive of Liberty Steel, acquired the aluminium plant and two adjacent hydro [...]
Liz Truss promises post-Brexit bonfire of EU rules that hinder UK growth July 22, 2022 Tory leadership candidate Liz Truss has vowed to seize the opportunities posed by Brexit by scrapping EU regulations that hinder the UK’s growth. The Conservative MP said that if she becomes prime minister, she will scrap any EU rules that hinder investment or fail to support growth in the UK economy by 2023. If Truss [...]
Claro Money tells customers to withdraw cash after suspending flagship app July 22, 2022 Financial planning company Claro Money has told customers to withdraw their money from its platform after announcing the suspension of its flagship app. In a letter to customers, Claro chief executive Rob Brockington set out plans to “refocus” the financial advice firm’s efforts, with a view to delivering in-person financial planning courses. The company chief [...]
HSBC sets up Communist Party cadre in China business July 21, 2022 Britain’s biggest lender and Asia-focused HSBC has set up a Chinese Communist Party (CCP) cadre in its China investment bank. The bank has become the first outside China to install a CCP committee, according to reports today in the Financial Times. Chinese law enforces domestic finance firms to have party officials in positions of authority. The [...]
FCA and Andrew Bailey slammed for failing to protect pension savers who were ripped off by poor advisors July 21, 2022 The City watchdog and its former head Andrew Bailey, nowadays the Bank of England’s chief, have come under fire for letting down British Steel pension savers who were ripped off by poor advice from companies they thought they could trust. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) did not protect the members of the British Steel pension [...]
AJ Bell customers surge despite slide in assets under administration July 21, 2022 Retail investment platform AJ Bell reported a surge in customer numbers in the past quarter but said that assets under administration dipped five per cent as volatile markets rocked investors’ bets.
City Moves: Who’s switching jobs in the Square Mile this week? July 21, 2022 City A.M.’s Millie Turner provides a roundup of the most important hires and job moves across the City, every morning. Email citymoves@cityam.com to be featured. Knight Frank Property consultancy Knight Frank has named its new head of farms a real estate, after Clive Hopkins retired after more than three decades with the firm. Will ‘Stan’ Matthews will oversee day-to-day management of [...]
Brexit: UK lays foundation to scrap hundreds of EU financial services rules July 20, 2022 Ministers have today tabled landmark post-Brexit legislation in parliament that will lay the foundation to scrap hundreds of retained EU rules on financial services. The long-awaited Financial Services and Markets Bill sets up a mechanism to bin EU financial services regulations one-at-a-time and either replace them with completely new rules or with none at all. [...]
The City watchdog I chair is becoming more innovative – and assertive July 19, 2022 Richard Lloyd OBE is the interim chair of the Financial Conduct Authority Our annual report shows the Financial Conduct Authority continues to change. Becoming more innovative, assertive and adaptive. We are being tougher on firms that want to operate in the UK to make our markets safer. Last year one in five applicants didn’t [...]
TikTok lays off staff while Apple and Goldman Sachs plan hiring slowdown as economic outlook dims July 19, 2022 TikTok has cut staff while Apple and Goldman Sachs will slow hiring as economic downturn concerns dampen confidence. TikTok laid off US staff and told European employees their jobs were at risk as part of a global restructuring move, the Wired reported. Some UK employees were informed that job losses will occur in several departments [...]