Nigel Farage: Reform will tax the banks even if they don’t like it January 22, 2026 Nigel Farage has confirmed Reform will slap a tax on the UK’s banking giants in the latest dramatic escalation of his party’s tensions with the City. Speaking at the World Economic Forum in the Davos, Farage said: “This will be tough for banks to accept but I am sorry – the drain on public finances [...]
UK inflation overshoots forecasts in cost of living warning January 21, 2026 Inflation overshot forecasts pencilled in by economists, sending the Bank of England a warning on their steady pace of interest rate cuts. New data published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) has shown consumer price index (CPI) inflation, the headline measure for price growth, hitting 3.4 per cent in the year to December. Economists [...]
Andrew Bailey: Muted response to Trump does not bring ‘assurance’ January 20, 2026 Bank of England governor Andrew Bailey said the “muted” market response to President Trump’s latest tariff threats did not bring any assurance over global financial stability. Bailey on Tuesday morning suggested that President Trump’s tariffs on the UK and major European economies would not be a “trigger” for a financial breakdown. During a Treasury Committee [...]
Basel 3.1: New rules will make UK banking more resilient January 20, 2026 The implementation of Basel rules in the UK, published today,marks a major step forward for the banking sector, writes David Bailey.
Financial services are not prepared for AI risks January 20, 2026 The Bank of England, the FCA and the Treasury must be proactive in protecting the system against this rapidly developing technology’s potential worst-case scenarios. If not, they are exposing the stability of the UK’s financial system to significant risks, says Meg Hillier It feels like discussion and debates about the AI revolution have reached fever [...]
UK financial system exposed to ‘serious harm’ from AI risks January 20, 2026 The Treasury, the financial watchdog and the Bank of England have been handed a stiff warning that the nation’s financial system is not adequately prepared for an AI shock. A group of influential MPs sat on the Treasury Select Committee took aim at the institutions for “not doing enough to manage the risks presented by [...]
Inflation expected to inch back up due to travel rush January 19, 2026 Inflation is expected to edge back up as higher airfares and tobacco prices are squeezing British families’ budgets and adding to pressures on the cost of living. A Bloomberg poll of economists has predicted consumer price index (CPI) inflation to hit 3.3 per cent rate for the year to December, which would be higher than [...]
Bank of England’s Taylor: Trade with China to drive interest rate cuts January 14, 2026 Cheap goods flooding into the UK from China will lower inflation and prompt the Bank of England to cut interest rates further, a member of the Monetary Policy Committee has said. Alan Taylor, considered to be the most dovish rate-setter on the MPC, warned that cheap goods flowing in from China would lower inflation over [...]
Peers warn ‘passive’ Treasury not aware of private credit risks January 9, 2026 The Treasury is being too passive about the risks posed to the economy by the rapid growth of private credit in the UK, according to an influential group of peers who accused ministers of “handing out the donkey work” of overseeing the sector to regulators. In fresh report examining the systemic risk posed by private [...]
Bosses hold up wage growth expectations amid inflation tensions January 8, 2026 Company bosses have cut their wage growth expectations for the year ahead, Bank of England data has suggested, with inflation pressures on Britons easing. Finance chiefs across private sector firms are set to raise wages by smaller amounts than seen in the last year, which could sway some Bank policymakers to lower borrowing costs further. [...]