David Buik: The City needs a bit more fun Markets No one alive has worked in the City longer than David Buik. He tells Ali Lyon what’s changed since his first day in September 1962, and what, mercifully, has remained the same. It is 12:30 on a mild Tuesday afternoon, and as he takes to his blue leather stool and peruses his paper menu, David [...]
Canva announces sweeping job cuts after ‘hardest year yet’ Tech Design software giant Canva has announced a sweeping restructuring affecting more than a fifth of its global workforce, as slowing growth and mounting AI costs put pressure on the Australian tech company. The shake-up will affect 1,271 employees, equivalent to 22 per cent of its workforce, through redundancies, relocations and changes to existing roles. Co-founder [...]
City AM Shadow MPC urges Bank of England to hike interest rates Economics The Bank of England should raise interest rates on Thursday in order to “protect credibility” and stamp out any risks of inflation spiralling out of control, top economists have said. City AM’s Shadow Monetary Policy Committee, which consists of leading economists across industry and academia, has called on the Bank to lift interest rates by [...]
Barclays and HSBC bankers donate over $500k in US midterms November 3, 2026 Barclays and HSBC bankers donated over half a million dollars to US political candidates ahead of the midterm elections. Bankers who are employed at the two UK-headquartered giants flooded cash into US political figures as millions of Americans headed to the polls. Donors listing Barclays or one of its subsidiaries as an employer contributed just [...]
Barclays begins early motor finance payouts as FCA sets ground rules November 3, 2026 Barclays will begin offering payouts to motor finance consumers ahead of the forthcoming legal battle after the City watchdog introduced its “minimum expectations” for lenders wishing to settle early. The bank said it would make payments using the Financial Conduct Authority’s (FCA) redress scheme methodology and acceptance would be optional. Once a consumer accepts the [...]
Barclays and Natwest layoffs signal start of banking’s AI job squeeze November 3, 2026 Barclays, Natwest, Lloyds and HSBC toasted to a £14n profit haul in the third-quarter but sweeping job cuts stole the show. Samuel Norman takes a look at what the last three months signal for the sector’s future. As bank leaders stepped up to the podium for third-quarter earnings, the agenda had already been set for [...]
Why the City isn’t buying a ‘time-limited’ bank tax hike October 30, 2026 John Healey may have opened Pandora’s Box with an increase to the UK bank surcharge. Samuel Norman looks at whether he will resist the temptation to extend it. Few things in British politics have proved to be as permanent as a “temporary” tax. When the Conservatives introduced the 25 per cent energy profits levy in [...]
Healey tells Bailey to loosen UK banking regulation after tax hike October 29, 2026 John Healey has told Bank of England governor Andrew Bailey to loosen banking regulation “as quickly as possible” after the government raised taxes on the sector in the Budget. The Chancellor wrote to Bailey following the Budget with a direction for the Financial Policy Committee (FPC) to balance its stability mandate with support for economic [...]
Budget 2026: Healey doubles bank tax to fund energy package October 28, 2026 John Healey has confirmed a “time limited” tax hike on the UK banking sector as a means to fund the government’s energy support package. The Chancellor will double the surcharge, which sits on top of corporation tax, to six per cent. The increase will begin in January and continue for 15 months. “I want to [...]
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 [...]