Farage: ‘Loathsome’ banks should not be hit with new tax October 26, 2026 Nigel Farage has said that banks should not be hit with new taxes at this week’s Budget in a partial U-turn on his previous position. Earlier this year, the Reform UK leader vowed to scrap interest payments lenders receive on deposits at the Bank of England, a move that would be widely regarded as a [...]
The anatomy of a bank tax: what can the UK learn from Europe? October 26, 2026 With days to go until John Healey delivers a Budget expected to target banks with a cash raid, Samuel Norman looks at the UK bank tax framework and other experiments across Europe. For years City lobbyists managed to bat away demands for a bank tax hike. As Chancellor, despite delivering two tax-heavy Budgets, Rachel Reeves [...]
Sadiq Khan urges banks to stay in London as tax raid looms October 26, 2026 Sadiq Khan has urged London’s biggest banks to keep investing in the UK, days away from an expected tax raid on the sector. On Monday, the Mayor of London said the City’s banking sector is “really important” but refused to say whether he opposed the tax raid, adding that “those with broader shoulders carry the [...]
Autumn Budget 2026: bank tax will put the City’s success at risk October 26, 2026 It is 40 years since the Big Bang unleashed London to become the global financial centre that it is, but by hammering the sector with windfall taxes, John Healey risks putting that success at risk, says Chris Hayward Nigel Lawson’s Big Bang took London from a globally competitive financial and professional services sector to what [...]
Budget 2026: If Healey really thinks banks are a jewel in the crown why is he raising taxes? October 21, 2026 Banks already pay billions in tax. If John Healey really wants to Budget for growth, investment and predictability, he should keep taxes stable, says David Postings Chancellor John Healey recently described banking as the “jewel” in the “British economic crown”. I completely agree. I have worked in banking for decades. Born in Wolverhampton, I know [...]
‘Own goal’ – City chiefs warn Healey higher bank taxes hurt jobs outside London October 21, 2026 Top City chiefs are launching last-ditch attempts to stop a punishing tax raid on banks at the Budget, warning the move will hurt jobs and growth outside of London. Rain Newton-Smith, the chief executive of the CBI, is set to warn Chancellor John Healey that increasing taxes on banks would be an “own goal for [...]
Lloyds and Barclays shares fall as Healey ‘poised’ to hike bank tax October 16, 2026 Shares in Britain’s banking giants tumbled this morning after new reports suggested John Healey is set to raise taxes on lenders when he delivers his first Budget at the end of the month. Natwest dropped two per cent to 660.40p, while Lloyds was down around 2.5 per cent to 103.40p. Barclays slid 0.4 per cent [...]
Tories to warn Burnham on ‘bending to left’ on bank tax raid October 14, 2026 Kemi Badenoch is expected to fire a bank tax warning shot to the Labour government on Thursday during a visit to Edinburgh. The Conservatives will warn Andy Burnham against “bending the knee to left-wing backbenchers and trade union paymasters,” as the pre-Budget debate heats up. It follows the banking sector swinging into defence mode ahead [...]
Plus500’s super-app ambitions risk re-telling a familiar London story October 14, 2026 Plus500 laid out plans for a super-app across the Atlantic, in this week’s column Samuel Norman looks at how it could frame their future. Also on the agenda, Healey continues pre-Budget summits and does anyone still care about the digital pound? Is a London-listed fintech turning to the US for its monumental ‘super-app’ a point [...]
City chiefs warn Healey bank tax hike could drive businesses out of UK October 9, 2026 Top finance industry chiefs have warned the Chancellor that hiking taxes on the banking sector in the forthcoming Budget could drive businesses and capital out of the UK. Bosses of the City’s biggest industry bodies – including UK Finance, TheCityUK and the CBI – have written to John Healey calling for him to avoid raising [...]