Banks call for ‘political mandate’ to bolster European defence June 8, 2026 The banking industry has issued a rallying call for a “political mandate” from the UK and EU in a bid to get regulators to open the taps to a fresh flood of defence financing. A new report from UK Finance – which represents the nation’s financial services giants from Lloyds to Revolut – has called [...]
Natwest to pump £50m into branches after shuttering over a thousand June 5, 2026 Natwest is planning to beef up its branch network after being one of the leading banks to take the axe to its physical presence over the last decade. The blue-chip banking giant will pump £50m into its network over the next 18 months and has pledged not to close any branches until at least 2029. [...]
Bunq: Revolut rival eyeing up UK banking licence bid June 4, 2026 Europe’s second largest digital bank is gearing up for a bid for a UK banking licence, City AM can reveal, as the firm puts its hat in the ring in the fight to claw market share from fintech leader Revolut. Bunq – which reached 20 million users in just a decade – is understood to [...]
This is why the City’s fintech IPO boom hasn’t happened yet June 3, 2026 Hopes remain high for a flurry of fintech listings, in this week’s column Samuel Norman takes a look at whether this could come to fruition and what could be holding it up. City officials have pinned a hefty portion of their hopes for a London Stock Market revival on the nation’s fintech stars. Rachel Reeves [...]
Losses widen at UK fintech Monese in eight month delayed accounts June 2, 2026 UK fintech Monese suffered a major widening of losses as its bottom line was hit by restructuring costs amidst its takeover by pseudo-bank peer Pockit. The London-based firm – which provides mobile-only current accounts, multi-currency wallets, and money transfer services – booked a pre-tax loss of £15.9m in the 2024 financial year. Fresh accounts – [...]
UK has ‘lost control’ of its international narrative, says Barclays June 2, 2026 Barclays has laid bare the investment barriers facing the UK in a new report that states the nation has “lost control of its international narrative” leading to an impact on foreign capital. The banking giant has called for a drastic shake-up of how the UK attracts international capital, following its share narrowing to seven per [...]
Number of claims management firms halves after FCA clampdown June 1, 2026 The number of claims management firms authorised by the UK’s financial watchdog has nearly halved since the beginning of the decade after the regulator “raised the bar” for firms in the sector. A Freedom of Information request by financial services consultancy Broadstone revealed 483 claims management companies (CMCs) operate in the sector, compared with 942 [...]
Fintech firms grew four times faster than traditional banks in 2025 June 1, 2026 The explosive growth of the global fintech sector continued in the last year, drastically outpacing its incumbent rivals but faced a challenge in cementing its market share. Fintech firms’ average growth rate was four times faster than that of traditional financial services at an average of 22 per cent in BCG’s Global Fintech Report 2026. [...]
Natwest and Barclays sweeten mortgage costs as Iran peace hopes ease interest rate fears May 29, 2026 Natwest and Barclays have become the latest lenders to sweeten up their mortgage deals, as hopes remain high that a peace deal will be reached in the Middle East that would bring calm to the interest rate environment. Both lenders have unveiled reductions in mortgage rates, with Barclays cutting its rates across the board by [...]
Top banks urge Rachel Reeves to expand small business lending scheme May 29, 2026 Top UK banks are lobbying Rachel Reeves to beef up the government’s small business lending scheme in a bid to unlock more capital to be lent to firms. A letter penned by UK Finance – the banking industry body that represents the likes of Barclays, Lloyds and Natwest – has called for the Chancellor to [...]