Five lenders hike mortgage prices as interest rate threat looms September 8, 2026 Five lenders hiked the price on their mortgage deals to kick off the week as the threat of the Bank of England increasing interest rates looms over the UK economy. Barclays has raised its rates on a fleet of products by nearly 0.2 per cent, with its two-year fixed rate rising to 5.53 per cent [...]
UK at risk of £290bn finance industry ‘being governed overseas’ September 8, 2026 The UK is at risk of its booming financial services industry being governed overseas after lagging behind international rivals in digital asset innovation, a new report has warned. Banking industry body UK Finance has issued a rallying call to policymakers to move at pace in developing the infrastructure to power tokenisation, or see the country [...]
The UK can still lead in tokenisation – but only if we move fast enough September 8, 2026 Tokenisation will reshape market infrastructure whatever we do – the question is whether the UK wants to shape it or adapt to decisions made elsewhere.
Has Reform managed to win over the City? September 5, 2026 Reform UK officials hope that its first-ever Business Day paid dividends at its conference. Maurício Alencar reports on a dramatic 72 hours in Birmingham and asks whether industry chiefs are satisfied with what they’ve heard and seen. Asked for an umbrella phrase to describe Reform’s economic philosophy, policy guru Dr James Orr responded that the [...]
Inflation expectations softer than predicted ahead of interest rate decision September 4, 2026 Firms intend to raise prices over the next year on average at a lower rate than many economists have expected, Bank of England research has shown, easing concerns that the UK economy is heading for a deeper cost of living crisis. The Decision Makers’ Panel, a Bank survey of how far firms plan to raise [...]
Bank of England’s Pill warns against ‘wait and see’ interest rates approach September 3, 2026 The Bank of England’s chief economist has warned that a “wait and see approach” to setting interest rates amid the ongoing Iran war could unleash a fresh wave of inflation that the central bank will find hard to contain if left unchecked. Huw Pill, who has long been one of the most hawkish rate-setters on [...]
Mortgage nightmare as investors price in three interest rate hikes September 2, 2026 Investors have priced in three interest rate hikes over the next two years as a global bond market rout sent UK gilt yields soaring. Two-year gilt yields, which gauges short term interest rate expectations, have jumped over 4.5 per cent, pushing up borrowing costs and putting the UK’s economic stability under threat. The Bank of [...]
How the Treasury got ‘fed up’ with the Bank of England’s payments plan September 2, 2026 The government moved to more closely monitor the Bank of England’s overhaul of the UK’s payments system after growing frustrated with the sluggish pace of the plans, industry figures have said. The Treasury revealed last week it would begin tracking the central bank’s progress on payments and digital currencies by introducing a new secondary objective [...]
Shop price inflation hits two-year high as rising energy costs hit consumers September 1, 2026 Shop price inflation has hit a two-year high and is set to climb through the autumn as a surge in energy and commodity costs filters through to consumers, a top business group has found. The British Retail Consortium (BRC), which represents major supermarkets and high street shops across the UK, warned that shop price inflation [...]
Andrew Bailey warns markets are not ready for the rise (or fall) of AI August 31, 2026 The governor of the Bank of England and chair of the Financial Stability Board, Andrew Bailey, has warned that countries are unprepared for the consequences of advanced AI and that the wider economy remains vulnerable to a dramatic market correction triggered by a potential slump in AI and tech stocks. Ahead of a G20 meeting [...]