Brits sound alarm on branch closures as Lloyds and Natwest shutter sites June 9, 2025 Over half of Brits struggle to speak to a real person when they need support, fresh research shows, underscoring the challenge facing banking customers as more top lenders shutter their branches. Research from credit information service CRIF showed six in ten consumers were unable to get the support required due to bank branch closures. This [...]
London suffering from UK economic malaise, NatWest data suggests June 9, 2025 Businesses in London saw output decline for the second consecutive month in NatWest’s growth tracker – yet there is some optimism that the capital’s economy could resurge. Firms widely reported Chancellor Reeves’ tax hikes and a rise in energy bills, which kicked into effect in what has been dubbed ‘Awful April’, contributed to a decline [...]
Monzo boss: Our tech will help us beat the big banks June 4, 2025 The boss of Monzo said the fintech darling is ready to take the fight to traditional lenders and “bets every day of the week” on its chances. Speaking at the Money 20/20 conference in Amsterdam, TS Anil said the next decade of banking would present “a race between two sides of the industry.” Anil said [...]
Natwest returns to private ownership May 30, 2025 Natwest has finally re-entered private ownership ending one of British banking’s longest-running sagas. The government sold off its remaining 0.26 per cent stake in the group on Friday marking a full exit from the lender. The Treasury’s share of the FTSE 100 lender dates back to the 2008 financial crisis. Natwest, then under the Royal [...]
Is Natwest set for a deal spree after privatisation? May 27, 2025 As Natwest finally breaks from the shackles of government ownership, the banking juggernaut may be gearing up for an acquisition spree. The FTSE 100 giant is speculated to return to privatisation in a matter of days after the government accelerated its sell off over the last year. Shares in the firm rose one per cent [...]
Reeves warned against bank tax raid May 21, 2025 Rachel Reeves has been warned of the growth consequences of upping tax on lenders after a leaked memo from Angela Rayner called for the Chancellor to launch a cash grab on banks. Reeves was sent a memo by the Deputy Prime Minister ahead of the spring Statement, which called for an annual £700m hike on [...]
MPs grill Barclays on outages as HSBC raises cyber attack concerns May 20, 2025 Bank chiefs have said they are ramping up spend on cyber defences after a spate of attacks have blighted the retail sector. HSBC’s UK boss Ian Stuart told the Treasury Committee the bank’s work on cyber protection and IT infrastructure was the “biggest expense in the business”. “Cyber security is at the top of the [...]
Lloyds Bank boss: No evidence of harm in motor finance scandal May 20, 2025 Lloyds Banking Group’s chief executive faced a grilling from the Treasury Select Committee on Tuesday over the lender’s historical exposure to the motor finance market. Charlie Nunn, the bank’s boss, said there was “no evidence of harm” from the firm’s operations in the car financing market. The scandal in the sector headed to the Supreme [...]
One in four Brits cling to bank branches as closures soar May 20, 2025 Brits remain keen for in-person banking even as high-street sites shutter, a fresh report from the Financial Conduct Authority has revealed. One in four current account users still opted to use branch services in the year to May 2024 despite their waning availability. The figure marks a steep drop from 63 per cent in 2017, [...]
Uber Boats by Thames Clippers nets £59m from Natwest and Santander May 19, 2025 Uber Boats by Thames Clippers has secured £59m in funding from Natwest and Santander after experiencing a surge in passenger numbers since the Covid-19 pandemic. The London river transport provider said the joint funding package would support plans for new vessels, pier upgrades and improvements to dry docking facilities. “It’s vital that we have funding [...]