Banks gear up for boost with loosening of capital rules December 1, 2025 UK banks are gearing up to supercharge the government’s growth agenda with reforms to lenders’ capital requirements set to unlock billions of free cash. The Bank of England is set to take the chop to rules around capital requirements, as part of a “fresh up” of rules in a six-month review to be published on [...]
Revolut in new spat with regulators over Storonsky’s residency December 1, 2025 Revolut has been caught in a fresh row with UK watchdogs following the chief executive of the fintech juggernaut shifting his residency to the United Arab Emirates. Nik Storonsky, the boss of the London-headquartered digital bank, sparked waves of conversation after Companies House filings in October revealed the fintech chief had ditch his main residency [...]
UK economy set to cool as weak consumer confidence damages spending December 1, 2025 The UK economy is expected to cool in 2026, as the softening labour market and subdued consumer confidence caused a drop in household spending. The economy is set to slow 1.0 per cent next year, down from 1.4 per cent in 2025, according to the latest economic outlook from professional services firm KPMG. Meanwhile, unemployment [...]
Budget ‘chaos’ may stall interest rate cuts November 26, 2025 The “chaos” around Budget measures may delay further interest rate cuts as the Bank of England figures through the effects of a flurry of tax rises, despite Rachel Reeves’ stated commitment to set the conditions for borrowing costs to be lowered. The Chancellor has said curbing the cost of living was a key “priority” at [...]
Reeves accused of ‘fiscal fandango’ amid OBR forecast changes November 23, 2025 The Bank of England’s former chief economist Andy Haldane has accused Rachel Reeves of overseeing “fiscal fandango” in the lead-up to the Budget amid months of speculation around expected tax rises. Speaking to the BBC, Haldane blasted months of speculation around the Budget that had caused “paralysis” in the UK economy. His comments came days [...]
UK economy flatlines in November as Labour growth push fails November 21, 2025 The UK economy flatlined in November, researchers have suggested, as pre-Budget nerves have hit growth across the private sector. S&P Global’s initial estimate for its purchasing managers’ index (PMI) has shown the UK economy just inching up, with firms pausing orders and investment plans before Chancellor Rachel Reeves announces sweeping tax hikes and possible spending [...]
Consumer confidence is ‘bleak’ ahead of Budget November 21, 2025 Consumer confidence has cratered ahead of the Budget according to a leading survey closely monitored by policymakers at the Treasury and Bank of England. The GfK consumer confidence barometer has shown the overall index falling to -19 in November, slightly lower than at the same time a year ago. The survey of around 2,000 individuals [...]
Investors flee UK stocks as Budget jitters echo Liz Truss fiasco November 18, 2025 Fund managers are ditching UK stocks as the fastest pace since Liz Truss and Kwasi Kwarteng panicked markets with the 2022 mini-budget. Global investors have dramatically reduced their risk to UK equities as the Labour government’s second Budget edges closer, where a hefty batch of tax rises are expected to be on the horizon. Rachel [...]
City watchdogs balloon despite deregulation drive November 18, 2025 Calls for the Chancellor to accelerate her City-wide deregulation push grew on Monday after freshly obtained figures revealed headcount at financial regulators has ballooned by over 50 per cent in the past decade. According to data shared exclusively with City AM, nearly 4,500 more staff work at the City’s five largest regulators than did 10 [...]
Banking watchdog raises customer protection to £120,000 November 18, 2025 The UK banking watchdog has raised the cap for how much a customer can be paid if their provider fails. The Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) has hiked the limit to £120,000 from £85,000 meaning additional customer funds will be protected if their lender collapses. The limits come under the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS), which [...]