Will the Bank of England’s quantitative tightening torpedo Reeves’ fiscal rules? June 5, 2025 Rachel Reeves is in a pickle. At under £10bn, the Chancellor’s self-imposed fiscal headroom – the Treasury’s wiggle room within its fiscal rules – is already wafer-thin by historic standards. And it is under intense strain, given a recent slew of billion-pound government spending pledges such as reversing winter fuel payments cuts and scrapping the [...]
UK to miss out on tourism boom due to ‘layer upon layer’ of taxes June 4, 2025 UK tourism is at risk of suffering a decline as visitors are deciding against going to Britain due to the Treasury’s stringent tax policies, a key industry official has said, in the latest sign of the toll tax hikes are taking. Julia Simpson, the former British Airways chief who now heads up the World Travel [...]
Klarna and Zilch shrug off buy now, pay later crackdown with card launch June 3, 2025 Klarna and Zilch have shrugged off a government crackdown on by buy now pay later payments after launching landmark partnerships with payments giant Visa to introduce physical cards. Commerce network Klarna has begun piloting “Klarna Card” which aims to offer consumers greater spending flexibility without the pitfalls of traditional credit cards. The card will use [...]
UK small companies funds surge as government bonds sink June 3, 2025 Funds invested in tech stocks and UK small companies jumped significantly last month, while government bond-focused funds failed to make returns amid tremors in the Treasury market. Tech funds returned nine per cent during May, while UK smaller companies funds rose 7.3 per cent, making them the two best performing sectors, according to data from [...]
Monzo: The rockstar fintech setting the City abuzz June 3, 2025 Monzo has dominated City chatter in recent months with its hotly anticipated IPO, and now the fintech unicorn’s latest financial results indicate the talk is only going to get louder. The UK fintech veteran broke another milestone in the last 12 months after topping £1bn in annual revenue. Behind the surge in takings was a [...]
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 [...]
Slash red tape for fund managers or risk ‘industry exodus’ May 23, 2025 The government must slash red tape preventing new fund managers from setting up or risk an industry exodus, experts have warned. The rate of new fund management businesses being created has dropped precipitously in recent years as high barriers to entry have pushed too many entrepreneurs away from the industry, according to a report by [...]
Pisces has the potential to flourish – if the FCA plays its cards right May 21, 2025 New Pisces markets could begin trading before the end of this year, in what the government hopes will be a boost for fast-growing companies in search of a stepping stone before reaching IPO. The framework, known as the Private Intermittent Securities and Capital Exchange System, will allow the creation of a new type of private [...]
What will stricter buy now pay later regulations mean for Klarna? May 20, 2025 The government is clamping down on the “wild west” of buy now, pay later (BNPL) but this could spark trouble for industry veterans in a competitive sector. The Treasury is set to bring BNPL providers under the supervision of the Financial Conduct Authority, meaning they will have to adhere to the stricter frameworks of the [...]