Fear over Labour plans to allow firms to extract cash from pension schemes April 3, 2025 The vast majority of pension scheme members are “afraid” of government plans that would allow firms to take cash from defined benefit (DB) schemes for investment. Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Chancellor Rachel Reeves signalled earlier this year that “trapped surplus funds” in DB pension schemes would be unleashed for firms to invest. But a [...]
UK stock funds suffer worst year on record as investors pull nearly £10bn January 8, 2025 UK-focused stock funds suffered their worst year on record last year as investors yanked nearly £10bn from the market, new figures have shown. While equity vehicles globally raked in a record £27.2bn through 2024, UK funds haemorrhaged some £9.6bn in their most sluggish year ever relative to the performance of the wider market, according to [...]
Finance bosses optimistic about Labour plans to cut red tape December 30, 2024 A KPMG survey found seven in 10 financial services bosses think the policies will help attract foreign investment into the sector.
CBI chief: Ministers must ‘co-design’ economic growth with businesses post-Budget November 25, 2024 Businesses should have a stronger voice in setting economic growth policies, the boss of an influential business lobby group has urged, including a shift from “consultation to co-design”. Rain Newton-Smith, chief executive of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), told attendees at the group’s annual conference that the government and firms share a “vision of [...]
MPs flag ‘major concerns’ over errors in labour survey November 21, 2024 An influential group of MPs has taken aim at the UK’s national numbers body today amid fears that errors in its labour survey are hamstringing “accurate” economic policy making. The chair of the Treasury Select Committee, Meg Hillier – a Labour MP – wrote to the boss of the UK Statistics Authority, Professor Sir Ian [...]
Five things Rachel Reeves should do if she’s serious about growth November 19, 2024 Rachel Reeves’ pensions reforms are welcome, but they are treating the symptoms, not the causes of low growth. Here’s what she should do next…. In her Mansion House speech last week, Rachel Reeves announced the consolidation of the 86 Local Government Pensions Schemes (LGPS) into eight ‘megafunds’, unlocking deep reserves of investment finance. This is [...]
Pension funds may still be forced to back Britain, minister warns November 18, 2024 Pension funds could still be forced to invest in Britain if they do not voluntarily boost their allocation to UK stocks and infrastructure projects, the pension minister has suggested. Ministers have been pushing the UK’s £1.3 trillion defined contribution and local government pension system to lift its investment in UK assets since coming to power [...]
Reeves’ championing of co-operatives is an exciting step for growth November 15, 2024 Rachel Reeves' plan to revive co-operatives represents an innovative play for growth, writes City MP Rachel Blake.
Is Brexit back on the agenda after Mansion House? November 15, 2024 Reeves said that the economy faced "structural challenges" as a result of Brexit, which simply added to an already long list of obstacles to economic growth.
We need to regulate for growth, not just for risk November 15, 2024 In her Mansion House speech, the Chancellor did not shy away from the need to deliver reform to support financial services to innovate, grow and finance investment across Britain, says Tulip Siddiq Financial services are at the heart of our economy, employing 1.2m people – from London to Edinburgh, from Manchester to Belfast. The sector [...]