Challenger banks hunt for acquisitions as rising interest rates reveal opportunities June 7, 2023 Challenger banks are increasingly on the lookout for acquisition opportunities as rising interest rates reveal takeover opportunities in the sector. Nigel Terrington, chief executive of Paragon Bank, told City A.M. that they “continue to look for opportunities” having made four acquisitions in seven years. Terrington noted that “in environments like this, some lenders are not [...]
There will be winners and losers from AI – but we must embrace it, not shun it June 7, 2023 AI will benefit some people and their jobs while replacing others - like all historic innovations. But if regulated safely, it will prove ground-breaking in many areas, including education, writes Guy Hands
It’s time the Bank of England rethinks monetary policy – and its own methods June 7, 2023 The Bank of England bases its forecasts on conventional models. But when it comes to monetary policy, there are many approaches it should explore instead - particularly the narrative one, writes Paul Ormerod
The Tories have lost rural England – and whoever wins it could triumph in politics June 7, 2023 Rural England has lost faith in the Tories after years of neglect. But Labour and the Lib Dems also don't seem to understand rural communities. Whoever manages to, could win the next elections, writes Mark Tufnell
Microsoft rallies behind licensing regime for AI firms to ensure safety June 6, 2023 The president of Microsoft has called for a licensing regime for artificial intelligence firms, arguing that such a system would be needed to ensure AI models are used safely. “There is some category of models that is so powerful, so impactful, there will need to be certain regulations and laws – new regulations and laws [...]
Oil prices flatline as Saudi Arabia fails to prop up prices with heavy cuts June 6, 2023 Oil prices have failed to take off following OPEC's decision to sustain heavy output cuts and Saudi Arabia's call to unilaterally slash production.
Britain’s nascent EV sector hopes for a boost from Sunak and Biden talks June 6, 2023 The UK’s electric vehicle sector is hoping for some good news from the two-day meeting between Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and US President Joe Biden, who are set to announce closer economic ties between the two nations this week. Biden is expected to offer new trading arrangements to help the UK’s struggling EV division compete [...]
FTSE 100 close: London index retraces losses on softer pound June 6, 2023 London’s FTSE 100 retraced losses today, shaking off investor fears over the risk of the effects of a US recession rippling throughout the global economy. The capital’s premier index climbed 0.37 per cent to 7,628.11 points, while the domestically-focused mid-cap FTSE 250 index, which is more aligned with the health of the UK economy, jumped [...]
Starmer hints Labour could link government contracts to how firms treat unions June 6, 2023 Keir Starmer has suggested that, under a Labour government, the awarding of state contracts could hinge on how companies treat trade unions that represent their staff. Speaking at the annual congress of trade union GMB in Brighton yesterday, Starmer said that Amazon should “recognise unions”, arguing that his party would beef up the power of [...]
Space sector defiant as figures show £7bn boost to UK economy June 6, 2023 The UK’s space sector contributed £7bn to the UK economy last year, new data has revealed. Kevin Craven, chief executive of aerospace and defence trade organisation ADS Group, which published the data, said that the UK continues to be a “world leader” in space, but that “innovation and expertise must be fully utilised and leveraged to [...]
