Employers now less likely to hire ex-offenders than in 2013 September 2, 2025 Hiring ex-offenders has been proven to be good for employers and society, so why have hiring rates dropped, asks James Reed.
Brits set their sights on affording comfortable retirement September 2, 2025 British adults have set their sights on affording a luxury retirement, but rising costs have soured some saver’s hopes. Nearly 8m Brits have made securing a comfortable retirement their main financial priority, according to research from consumer banking business Chase. A comfortable retirement allows more financial freedom and luxuries, such as holidays and greater non-essential [...]
The spectre of 2008 haunts banks’ push into private credit September 2, 2025 Britain’s biggest banks are trying to grab a slice of the rapidly expanding private credit market, but as they look to grow, memories of the financial crisis are coming back to haunt the lenders. The global private credit market notched $2 trillion (£1.5 trillion) assets under management in 2024 and is expected to grow to $2.8 trillion [...]
Zopa Bank expands payments grip with retail finance acquisition September 2, 2025 Digital bank Zopa has expanded its payments reach with a fresh takeover. The fintech has snapped up Rvvup – a platform designed to streamline businesses’ acceptance, collection and management of payments. Zopa said the acquisition will treble the size of its embedded finance business in two years, which covers the integration of financial products into [...]
Keir Starmer’s approval rating sinks to record low September 2, 2025 Keir Starmer’s approval ratings have hit a record low, a City AM/Freshwater Strategy poll has shown, as pressure mounts on the government ahead of the Budget. Research by City AM and the advisory firm Freshwater Strategy has highlighted the growing discontent among voters over the UK government’s poor performance after a year in office. Starmer’s [...]
Kemi Badenoch doubles down on North Sea oil drilling pledges September 2, 2025 Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch will pledge to make North Sea oil a “cornerstone” of the UK economy amid concerns producers have “much more to do” to reduce carbon emissions in the coming decades. In a speech to the Society of Petroleum Engineers Offshore Europe conference in Scotland, Badenoch will tell industry officials that she [...]
Keir Starmer has humiliated Rachel Reeves September 2, 2025 What is the Chancellor if not the Prime Minister’s economic adviser? We now know that she no longer performs that function, after the PM’s brutal move to bring economic policy into his office, rather than her’s. After little more than a full year in office, Keir Starmer’s government appears to be circling the drain. Support [...]
Starmer seeks to relaunch as approval rating hits fresh low September 2, 2025 Keir Starmer has launched a dramatic shakeup of his Downing Street team as he hails the “second phase” of his government amid dire poll ratings and a sluggish economy. The Prime Minister has beefed up Number Ten’s economic muscle, bringing in his Chancellor’s top minister, Darren Jones, to fill a newly created position alongside a [...]
Finance bosses back AI despite job loss concerns September 2, 2025 The financial services industry is set to drive more investment into AI as the industry’s senior leaders turn bullish on the tech. More than half of UK institutions expect to up their AI investment in the next 12 months while one in five said they would maintain current levels, data shared with City AM revealed. [...]
Rival Heathrow bid drafts in Changi in effort to win runway contract September 2, 2025 The man behind an ambitious plan to break up Heathrow’s decades-long monopoly has partnered with the world’s number one airport to bolster its bid to win the much-coveted contract to build the hub’s third runway. Surinder Arora, the hotel tycoon behind a rival expansion bid dubbed Heathrow West, has drafted in the help of experts [...]