UK-India trade agreement ‘about deal and not dates’, minister says March 23, 2023 The UK’s talks with India are “about the deal and not the dates”, a minister has insisted as a Conservative backbencher queried government progress towards a free trade agreement. Trade minister Nigel Huddleston told the Commons “we will not tie our hands in terms of setting an arbitrary deadline”. He spoke in response to Conservative [...]
Bank of England hikes interest rates for eleventh time in a row to post financial crisis high of 4.25 per cent March 23, 2023 The Bank of England today hiked interest rates for the eleventh time in a row to a post-financial crisis of 4.25 per cent as it continues to lead the fight against the worst UK inflation crisis in four decades. Governor Andrew Bailey and his team of rate setters bumped borrowing costs 25 basis points higher, [...]
London proves Brexit doubters wrong to clinch Europe finance crown March 23, 2023 London has again clinched Europe’s financial centre crown, beating back glum predictions that Brexit would knock the capital’s competitiveness on the global stage, a new index out today reveals. The capital scored well across think tank Z/Yen’s 33rd Global Financial Centres Index (GFCI), helping to to retain the top spot in Europe. London’s access to [...]
Accenture to cut 19,000 jobs over the next 18 months March 23, 2023 Accenture today said it is planning to cut 19,000 staff over the next 18 months, as it seeks to cut costs in the face of the global economic downturn. The IT consultancy today told investors it plans to cut around 2.5 per cent of its entire workforce as it pushes forwards with efforts to [...]
Meet the City’s new enforcers: FCA calls in regulatory veteran and NCA boss to lead clampdown March 23, 2023 The Financial Conduct Authority has appointed two new chief enforcers today as it prepares to clampdown on financial crime and usher in contentious new consumer rules this year.
Central banks are right to raise rates, even with banking on the precipice of a crisis March 23, 2023 This morning Andrew Bailey and the Monetary Policy Committee at the Bank of England rose interest rates to 4.25 per cent, even after the shock merger between Credit Suisse and UBS, and the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank, writes Jumana Saleheen Decisions from central banks over the last week demonstrate an ongoing effort to bring [...]
Starmer rejects ‘heads must roll’ approach to Met Police reform March 23, 2023 Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has said he does not believe in a “heads must roll” approach to reforming the Met Police after an excoriating review into the failing force. Starmer said he would resist a “structural, break-it-up, heads must roll model” to overhauling the force. “I’ve seen that too often before where something goes [...]
888: Share price tanks as betting giant struggles to regain market confidence following chief’s exit March 23, 2023 The share price for William Hill owner 888 tanked this morning as the group struggles to regain investor confidence following an investigation of its VIP services and exit of its chief executive earlier this year. It comes despite the betting giant, which also owns gambling brands such as 888 Casino, revealing that it is trading [...]
Ford admits it’s losing billions as heavy investment in electric puts brakes on profit March 23, 2023 Ford’s electric vehicle business has lost three billion US dollars (£2.44 billion) before taxes during the past two years and will lose a similar amount this year as the company invests heavily in the new technology. The figures were released on Thursday as Ford rolled out a new way of reporting financial results. The new [...]
Stop being TWaTs! Lloyd’s of London chief says City must drop ‘Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday world’ March 23, 2023 Lloyd’s of London chief John Neal has called for a move away from the “Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday world” in arguing there will always be times that people “have to be in every day of the week”. Speaking to City A.M., Neal called for a shift away from the “two days a week or three days [...]