UK payments system is deceptively complex March 25, 2026 Beneath every tap of your card is a complex web of payment systems you don't even notice – and we mustn't fall behind, writes Keith Douglas.
Bank of London hit with £2m fine for ‘misleading’ watchdog March 24, 2026 The Bank of London has been slapped with a hefty fine from the banking watchdog after “misleading” the regulator and “failing to act with integrity”. The embattled fintech and its parent company Oplyse Holdings are on the hook for £2m after the watchdog found it failed to be open regarding its capital position. It marks [...]
Regulation isn’t cost-free and not every problem can be fixed with a new rule March 24, 2026 Politicians all too often reach for the regulation lever because “something must be done” – it could be costing businesses £70bn a year, says Cory Berman As of this September, all new building applications over 18 metres must include a second staircase. The rule was introduced after the horrific Grenfell Tower tragedy, to improve building [...]
Companies House disciplined over 100 staff for compliance breaches March 24, 2026 Over a hundred members of staff at under-fire Companies House faced disciplinary action for compliance breaches in the last three years. Fresh figures from a Freedom of Information request reveal the UK’s registry body for companies took action against 131 staff since December 2022. The disciplinary measures were a result of breaches relating to the [...]
Cabbies face robotaxi squeeze as Addison Lee boss warns of ‘predatory pricing’ March 23, 2026 London’s cabbies could be priced out of the market unless regulators step in to curb “predatory pricing” from deep-pocketed tech giants, the boss of Addison Lee has warned. Chief executive Liam Griffin said companies like Waymo, Wayve or Tesla risk undercutting traditional operators by subsidising fares to win market share, echoing concerns from the early [...]
Federal Reserve orders Oaknorth to set up UK holding firm March 23, 2026 Digital bank Oaknorth has been ordered by the US financial watchdog to switch its domicile to the UK to get the green light on its takeover of a Michigan-based bank. The small business lender is exploring plans to establish a new UK holding company as a way to seal the deal on its acquisition of [...]
Hike in conduct breach reports to FCA ahead of new rules rollout March 23, 2026 There has been a substantial increase in reports of conduct breaches made to the financial watchdog, with the spotlight on City behaviour amid ongoing legal proceedings regarding the disgraced financier Crispin Odey. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) received 10 per cent more complaints in 2024 compared to the previous year, according to the law firm [...]
Banks keep £100 contactless limit despite new powers March 19, 2026 Britain’s banks will not be lifting the £100 cap on contactless payments despite the regulator giving them the power to do so, citing low demand. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) lifted the cap on Thursday, leaving it up to banks to increase their own limits – although none of the UK’s biggest banks have decided [...]
Treasury reforms to banks ombudsman threaten independence, MPs warn March 18, 2026 The Treasury’s reforms to the banks ombudsman threaten to upend the body’s independence, a group of influential MPs have warned. The government revealed its overhaul proposals for the financial ombudsman service (FOS) on Tuesday in a bid to curb concerns it had behaved as a “quasi-regulator”. But a fresh letter to City minister Lucy Rigby [...]
Political comfort blanket masquerading as a growth strategy March 18, 2026 Rachel Reeves has warned that we’ve entered “an age of insecurity” – and she wasn’t referring to Keir Starmer’s precarious grip on power. In declaring that “globalisation as we’ve known it is over” the Chancellor set out her response to this hard-edged new reality, focusing on regional growth, closer ties with the EU and a [...]