Britcoin could ‘open a new frontier’ in payments, says BoE official February 28, 2023 A central bank digital currency (CBDC) could “open a new frontier” in payments and even make the financial system more stable, the deputy governor at the Bank of England said today. Speaking to MPs at a Treasury Committee hearing, deputy governor Jon Cunliffe said a so-called digital pound “could have huge benefits for the economy [...]
Digital Pound: Busting the privacy myths February 28, 2023 Martin Hargreaves, Chief Product Officer with Quant, debunks some of the myths he believes surround the advent of the digital pound.
ECB expected to hike rates to a record four per cent as central bank struggles to tame inflation February 28, 2023 The European Central Bank (ECB) will hike interest rates to their highest level since the monetary authority of the group of countries using the euro was created in 1999, markets are betting. President Christine Lagarde and the rest of the governing council, Europe’s equivalent to the Bank of England’s monetary policy committee, are poised to [...]
End of Bank of England £800bn bond buying scheme poses headaches for Treasury and taxpayers February 28, 2023 The magic money tree is shedding its leaves. Over a decade of cheap cash propping up the global economy has been toppled by a once in a generation inflation problem. QE was a necessary response to the batch of shocks ricocheting around the global economy since 2008. Now it’s shifted into reverse. But how did [...]
IFS: No room for tax cuts or spending rises at March budget despite Jeremy Hunt pocketing £60bn windfall February 28, 2023 There is no room for tax cuts or spending increases at the 15 March budget despite Jeremy Hunt being handed an around £60bn windfall from lower energy prices and interest rates, a top economic think tank has forecast today. The Chancellor will be held back from handing households and businesses a tax giveaway due to [...]
Brits forced to cut £14,000 off house prices to achieve sale, new data reveals February 28, 2023 Brits are being forced to accept an average cut of £14,000 on the price of their homes to achieve a sale, according to new Zoopla HPI figures.
The Notebook: Andy Silvester on the City’s ecosystem, a cricket charity and ‘no bullsh*t’ books February 28, 2023 As a child, I was fascinated by trains – not necessarily how diesel engines worked, but how the various moving parts of a train system worked together. Alas, the space limits of a terraced house in south London meant that my dream to build an entire train set across the top floor were thwarted. The [...]
FTSE 100 close: Bunzl and Rolls Royce help London index shrug off interest rate and inflation woes February 27, 2023 London’s FTSE 100 opened the week in positive territory today as investors appeared to shrug off concerns about inflation and how forcefully central banks would respond to it. The capital’s premier index jumped 0.72 per cent to 7,935.12 points, while the domestically-focused mid-cap FTSE 250 index, which is more aligned with the health of the [...]
Red tape for small banks to be reduced as regulator looks to boost sector’s competitiveness February 27, 2023 The banking regulator has announced plans to reduce restrictions on small banks, saying it would take its new competitiveness mandate seriously. Announcing the regulations, Vicky Saporta, executive director at the Bank of England, said: “the importance of competition means that we need to act when rules that are proportionate for large firms are not proportionate [...]
Should we welcome the prospect of the ‘Britcoin’ CBDC? February 27, 2023 Temple Melville believes a 'Britcoin' CBDC has potential as an opportunity for alternative monetary policy and stimulation in the future.