Spring Statement: stability today, storms tomorrow March 3, 2026 The Spring Statement successfully avoided immediate policy changes and provided the Chancellor with increased fiscal headroom, but risks loom from international conflict and unsustainable spending plans, says James Nation The Treasury and the Chancellor did everything possible to convince us that this time would be different. The ‘Spring Forecast Statement’ fell on a Tuesday, not [...]
Meet Reeves’ outsider tasked with steering the City to growth March 3, 2026 The City has rolled out the red carpet for the banking watchdog’s new chief after Katharine Braddick, a seasoned veteran of the financial trenches, was named on Friday as the successor to Sam Woods. For a cool £314,000 a year, she’s set to take on the brief of steering the UK’s banking sector. Chancellor Rachel [...]
What does Rachel Reeves’ ‘low-key’ Spring Statement mean for markets? March 2, 2026 Ahead of Rachel Reeves’ Spring Statement on Tuesday, Investec’s Chief Economist Philip Shaw sat down with City AM’s Rupert Hargreaves to discuss what investors should look out for in the key statement. Rupert Hargreaves: Next Tuesday, the Office for Budget Responsibility publishes updated economic and fiscal forecasts, as required under the 2011 Budget Responsibility Act, [...]
Admiral pubs boss: business rates will ‘kill off the high street’ February 23, 2026 The boss of a northern-based pubs company has claimed business rates will “kill off” the high street as well as pubs unless the levy is fundamentally reformed. Chris Jowsey, chief executive of Admiral Taverns, told City AM the government must deliver on its pledge to overhaul the business rates system, which he said “penalises bricks [...]
Rachel Reeves warned ‘dysfunctional’ fiscal rules are hammering economy February 19, 2026 Rachel Reeves has been dealt a scathing assessment of her economic policy by a top think tank, which likened her approach to a driver who was “watching the speedometer” while ignoring other conditions. The Chancellor is facing calls to scrap the self-imposed fiscal rules that prevent her from borrowing to pay for day-to-day spending and [...]
New EV charges threaten fragile consumer confidence February 19, 2026 The UK government wants Britain to go electric, but carmakers are under strict sales targets, grants have been extended, and billions are being funnelled into infrastructure. But at street level, the case for switching still depends on whether the switch will actually save drivers money. That question has become sharper in recent weeks, with TfL [...]
Cash ISA changes add complexity to the market, says building society February 18, 2026 The government’s decision to cut the cash ISA tax-free ceiling has added “complexity” to the market, a building society executive has said, as Britons still seek to have a cash safety net. Speaking in an interview with City AM, Stuart Haire, chief executive of Skipton Group has said that while the government was correct to [...]
Carmakers to skirt a crash in £11bn motor finance redress February 18, 2026 UK carmakers are set to curb a hefty hit in the City regulator’s forthcoming redress scheme for the motor finance scandal. Captive lenders, in-house lenders of manufacturers, are to be granted some reprieve by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) after relentless lobbying that the scheme could hamper investment in the UK. The FCA was forced [...]
FCA chief: We can’t solve every problem with new rules February 18, 2026 The Financial Conduct Authority will avoid introducing fresh rules as its stock response to new forms of market failure, its boss has said, as the regulator looks to avoid time-consuming consultation processes and speed up its action. Nikhil Rathi told the Fairer Finance podcast that “not every problem can be solved quickly” by the watchdog [...]
Robert Jenrick clinches Treasury brief as Reform reveals ‘shadow cabinet’ February 17, 2026 Robert Jenrick will spearhead Reform UK’s bid to woo the City and project fiscal responsibility after the recent-defector beat peers to the party’s ‘shadow’ Treasury brief. The Newark MP – who defected to the Nigel Farage’s turquoise tribe in January – was unveiled as the Reform party’s ‘shadow chancellor’ as Farage appointed a host of [...]