Senior MPs condemn banks quango chair over dodging questions July 14, 2025 Senior MPs have blasted the chair of the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS), the banks quango which settles complaints made by consumers against banks, for obstructing scrutiny after Abby Thomas was dismissed as chief executive. Zahida Manzoor, Baroness Manzoor, the Tory peer who leads governance of the public body settling complaints between consumers and banks, has [...]
HSBC splashes $5m on new London wealth centre despite non-dom exodus July 12, 2025 HSBC has opened a new wealth centre in the heart of London to cater to high-earning customers in defiance of fears of an exodus of wealthy investors from the UK. Britain’s most valuable bank has leased two floors of a fifteen-storey tower in Piccadilly, formerly the home of British magazine The Economist, in a $5m [...]
UK’s financial services stronghold slips July 10, 2025 The UK’s position as a financial services leader has cracked as under-investment and staff reductions weigh on the sector. Nearly half of senior financial professionals believe the UK’s dominance is waning, research from the CRIF found. Over 40 per cent said they would no longer consider the country a global leader in the industry. Sara [...]
The Bank of England is dying for data on private markets July 10, 2025 City Editor Simon Hunt on the stories that caught his eye this week Andrew Bailey’s svelte profile has attracted much City chatter the past year. Some say the guv’nor has a strict exercise regime to lose weight; skeptics reckon it’s Ozempic. Here’s my theory: Bailey is wearing so many different hats, the constant switch between [...]
Banks shut eight branches a week since 2016 July 10, 2025 British banks have accelerated their retreat from the high street, shutting an average of eight branches a week since 2016 in a dash to bulk up digital offerings. Nearly 3,700 sites closed between 2016 and 2024, creating 41 ‘banking deserts,’ which refer to local authorities where at least one branch shut for every 10,000 residents. [...]
Bank of England hits Mastercard subsidiary with £12m fine July 9, 2025 A Mastercard-owned company has been fined almost £12m by the Bank of England after it failed to fully comply with a regulatory order to fix weaknesses in its risk management. Vocalink – which was acquired by Mastercard in 2017 – has been slapped with the £11.9m fine due to failing to meet directions from the [...]
Fintechs lobby Rachel Reeves for tax incentives to boost listings July 9, 2025 Top British fintech firms have urged Rachel Reeves to provide incentives to list in London or risk losing them to rival markets overseas. Executives from Clearbank, Atom, Revolut and Zilch met the Chancellor on Wednesday morning ahead of the Treasury’s Financial Services Growth and Competitiveness Strategy, in which fintech is expected to play a starring [...]
Reeves warned ‘undermining cash ISAs a serious mistake’ July 9, 2025 Chancellor Rachel Reeves has been warned that “undermining” cash ISAs would be a “serious mistake” and could hike the cost of mortgages and make them harder to access. Skipton Building Society has joined the chorus of institutions voicing their concerns ahead of the Chancellor’s Mansion House speech next week where she is expected to announce a [...]
Close Brothers to scale back lending after motor finance hit July 9, 2025 Close Brothers is set to scale back its premium finance division in a bid to cut costs and focus on its offerings for businesses. The lender said on Wednesday it would begin to prioritise insurance products designed for businesses in its commercial lines, which the firm said offered better risk-adjusted returns and long-term growth potential. This will [...]
Labour’s Mansion House will be lift-off or letdown for banks July 9, 2025 Britain’s banking sector will be keeping a close eye on Rachel Reeves’ Mansion House speech on July 15 in which the Chancellor will lay out Labour’s roadmap for financial services. Banks are set to take centre stage in the Treasury’s Financial Services Growth & Competitiveness Strategy as Reeves looks to harness the sector to power [...]