Environment secretary: I will fix the water sector December 10, 2025 This government will reform the water sector to provide stability for investors and confidence for customers, says Emma Reynolds It’s no secret that our rivers, lakes and seas are in dire need of attention. There has been a whole system failure from water companies to regulators, underpinned by short-term thinking and a lack of strategic [...]
Treasury ‘buries’ farming report until after Budget in inheritance tax blow November 16, 2025 A government-commissioned review that shows the financial pressures on the farming industry has been “buried” by the Treasury until after the Autumn Budget, Whitehall sources claim. The review which was carried out by a former president of the National Farmers’ Union (NFU), Baroness Batters, is understood to lay bare concerns among farmers over Chancellor Rachel [...]
London Stock Exchange gets go-ahead to run Pisces private stock market August 26, 2025 The Financial Conduct Authority has given the London Stock Exchange the green light to operate a new Pisces private stock market, clearing the path for the market’s launch later this year. The City watchdog confirmed on Tuesday that London’s flagship stock exchange had become the first operator to receive approval to run Pisces – a [...]
Exclusive: Lloyds and Barclays bleed millions in complaint fees July 7, 2025 Lloyds and Barclays were among top UK banking giants paying millions to the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) in administrative fees in the last year. The banking industry’s ‘Big Six’ – Barclays, HSBC, Lloyds Banking Group, Natwest, Santander and Nationwide – paid the FOS a combined £38.8m in admin fees for the year ending March 31. [...]
Top Tory slams FCA ‘mission creep’ after misconduct rules expanded July 3, 2025 Shadow business secretary Andrew Griffith has slammed the UK financial watchdog for expanding rules on “non-financial misconduct”, which spans from bullying to harassment and violence. In a post on X the former city minister described the new regulations as “grade A mission creep”, as the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) broadened their reach to apply to [...]
Motor finance drags FOS complaints to highest since PPI scandal July 2, 2025 The motor finance row has dragged complaints to the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) to the highest level since the PPI scandal. Consumers lodged 305,726 complaints with the FOS in the year ending March 31 2025, which edged towards highs of 388,392 in year ending March 2019. Complaints regarding motor finance led the spike at 73,328. [...]
Lloyd’s chair says marketplace must ‘extend’ leading position July 1, 2025 The new chair of Lloyd’s has vowed to “strengthen and extend” the insurance marketplace’s industry leading position after the sector was identified as a ‘frontier industry’ in the government’s newly minted Industrial Strategy. In a speech seen exclusively by City AM, Sir Charles Roxburgh hailed the “success of Lloyd’s and the London insurance market”, saying [...]
National wealth fund boss slams banking industry’s risk appetite June 30, 2025 The boss of the National Wealth Fund has blasted the banking industry’s risk appetite and cited the lack of risk-taking as the reason for waning growth figures. Speaking at City Week on Monday, John Flint, the chief executive of the newly-established government body, said: “The banking system is very heavily regulated and in the best [...]
City minister doubles down on green finance as firms turn sour June 30, 2025 The City minister has reaffirmed the government’s ambition for a green transition across the financial services sector, despite the industry pivoting on climate priorities. Speaking at City Week on Monday, Emma Reynolds said: “The UK has a world leading financial and related professional services ecosystem and the research that is needed to integrate sustainable finance.” [...]
City minister opens door to weakening banks ombudsman June 26, 2025 City minister Emma Reynolds has suggested the government could remove powers from the banks ombudsman as part of efforts to ease regulatory burdens faces by financial services. Reynolds told an audience of bankers and investors that the end of a review on the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS), which acts to settle complaints made by consumers [...]