Nigel Farage: Reform will tax the banks even if they don’t like it Banking Nigel Farage has confirmed Reform will slap a tax on the UK’s banking giants in the latest dramatic escalation of his party’s tensions with the City. Speaking at the World Economic Forum in the Davos, Farage said: “This will be tough for banks to accept but I am sorry – the drain on public finances [...]
Bank of England’s Bailey: Central banks must challenge populism Economics Andrew Bailey has called on central banks international institutions to stand up to proponents of populism with their words and actions, warning that organisations like the Bank of England are being painted as “unresponsive and acting for the benefit of powerful” interests. In a speech to a group of economists and officials in London, governor [...]
Central banks throw weight behind Fed after Trump assault Economics Some of the world’s most prominent central banks have issued a full-throated support of the Federal Reserve and its chair Jay Powell, after Donald Trump’s campaign against its independence escalated with a Department of Justice legal action. In an unusual joint intervention, 11 central banking chiefs declared they stood in “full solidarity” with the Fed’s [...]
Is the consensus on central bank independence starting to fray? December 18, 2025 Across the globe, leaders like Donald Trump and Emmanuel Macron are challenging institutional independence and exerting their influence over monetary policy – but they could come to regret it, says Helen Thomas For much of the past three decades, central bank independence has been treated as a settled question. Monetary policy was best left to [...]
Borrowing costs surge as gilts close in on 27-year low August 26, 2025 Long-dated gilts plunged to a near 27-year low on Tuesday, bringing the UK’s fragile fiscal position into even sharper relief in the run-up to the government’s second Budget this Autumn. The yield on 30-year UK government bonds, which moves inversely to the price, jumped by as much as nine basis points to 5.63 per cent, [...]
A Rachel Reeves and Andrew Bailey clash risks Britain’s stablecoin dream August 13, 2025 A Rachel Reeves and Bank of England clash risks derailing Britain’s stablecoin dream as the country plays catchup in the over £200bn market. The Chancellor referenced plans to drive forward “developments in blockchain technology including… stablecoin” in her 2025 Mansion House speech. But Reeves faces an obstacle to push her plans in the form of [...]
Bank of England unveils shake up of financial crisis banking rules July 15, 2025 The Bank of England has unveiled a sweeping package of reforms aimed at easing the regulatory burden on smaller and mid-sized banks, marking a major shakeup of the post-financial crisis rulebook. The central bank’s changes include a one-year delay to key parts of the Basel 3.1 reforms – the UK’s version of international banking rules [...]
Banks shut eight branches a week since 2016 July 10, 2025 British banks have accelerated their retreat from the high street, shutting an average of eight branches a week since 2016 in a dash to bulk up digital offerings. Nearly 3,700 sites closed between 2016 and 2024, creating 41 ‘banking deserts,’ which refer to local authorities where at least one branch shut for every 10,000 residents. [...]
Relentless surge in government debt is unsustainable says BIS May 27, 2025 Policymakers across the world need to get a grip on the relentless surge in public government debt, a leading economist has warned. Agustin Carstens, general manager of the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) said fiscal authorities have a “narrow window” to put their house in order “before the public’s trust in their commitments starts to [...]
Natwest and Lloyds to cash in as Reeves hints at ring-fencing reform May 19, 2025 Rachel Reeves has told top bank bosses she is “open-minded” to ditch the ring-fencing regime imposed on major banks. The Chancellor was lobbied by the chiefs of HSBC, Lloyds, Natwest and Santander to scrap the 15-year-old legislation last month. Lenders slammed the system – which requires firms to keep their retail bank operations separate from [...]