AI-powered regtech lands £2.1m to help banks dodge FCA fines November 13, 2025 An AI-powered regulation tech firm has landed £2.1m in funding to help banks avoid getting fines from the City watchdog. Adclear, which uses software to ensure lenders’ books are in order, has capped off a funding round which has included backing from Clearscore founder Dan Cobley and Coinbase’s UK managing director Keith Grose. With Adclear’s [...]
UK banks send regulation warning as private credit threat rises November 11, 2025 Top bosses of UK banks have fired a warning shot over the country’s status as a competitive financial hub as the government’s efforts to overhaul regulation risk missing the mark. Michael Roberts, the top boss of HSBC Bank and chief of corporate and institutional banking, told lawmakers on Tuesday the Treasury’s deregulation work was a [...]
Bank of England relaxes stablecoin stance in ‘watershed’ rules change November 10, 2025 The Bank of England has relaxed its stance on stablecoin in a new consultation paper aimed at helping Britain grab a slice of the £200bn market. The central Bank has previously faced calls to “publicly walk back” on its position on digital assets over fears the UK was missing out on the market. But in [...]
City watchdog extends motor finance consultation after backlash November 5, 2025 The City watchdog has extended its consultation for its motor finance redress scheme following mounting backlash from lenders and consumers. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) announced that it would push back the deadline – initially scheduled for 18 November – to 12 December at 5:00pm. The final criteria of the scheme is expected to be [...]
Rachel Reeves’ banking reforms ‘unlikely to be transformative’ November 3, 2025 Rachel Reeves’ financial services growth mission faces a major blow with top City voices warning her regulatory reforms won’t be transformative. The Chancellor unveiled her Leeds Reform package intended to “rewire the financial services industry” in July this year. Whilst the moves were cheered by industry bigwigs, analysts have raised concerns the changes will fail [...]
Complaints to banks ombudsman fall after Treasury clamp down October 29, 2025 Complaints to the banking ombudsman have tumbled in the three months to September 2025 after the Treasury launched its own clamp down. The Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) recorded 46,300 complaints in the quarter, down from 73,700 in the same period last year. In the three months to June, 68,000 complaints were recorded. The fall followed [...]
Can Britain’s AI growth lab speed up innovation without risking safety? October 24, 2025 The UK government’s recent unveiling of an AI ‘growth lab’ – a sandbox designed to let companies trial AI under relaxed regulatory conditions – has been hailed as a bold step to accelerate innovation. At the Times Tech Summit on Tuesday, tech secretary Liz Kendall dubbed it as a chance to remove the “needless red [...]
Rachel Reeves launches ‘Scale-up Unit’ in bid to woo fintechs October 24, 2025 Rachel Reeves will today launch the Treasury’s latest initiative to woo the UK fintech sector with the introduction of a “Scale-Up Unit”. In a visit to Leeds, the Chancellor will pledge to “super charge” UK innovation with the new body, which will be jointly led by the financing and banking watchdogs. The service will first [...]
Fintech industry takes aim at ‘logic-defying’ banking watchdog October 20, 2025 The industry body for UK fintech will today take aim at the banking watchdog in a scathing report that will blast “logic-defying” regulation. A fresh report from Innovate Finance, seen by City AM, will accuse the Prudential Regulation Authority’s (PRA) of “excessive” requirements that create an “uneven playing field for UK challenger banks, placing heavy [...]
Lords grill FCA on ‘deep lack of clarity’ in motor finance redress October 15, 2025 A committee of lawmakers has blasted the Financial Conduct Authority over the “deep lack of clarity” it provided over its motor finance redress scheme. Lord Forsyth, the chair of the House of Lords Financial Services Regulation committee, said at an evidence session the City watchdog had “made it considerably more complicated and costly” in its [...]