Budget 2025: Lloyds, Natwest and Barclays brace for a tax raid? September 1, 2025 Ahead of the 2024 Autumn Budget, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer warned Labour’s first fiscal event was “going to be painful”. He added those with the broadest shoulders “should bear the heavier burden” as Chancellor Rachel Reeves battled against an alleged ‘£22bn black hole’ inherited from the Conservative government. After lobbying efforts, banks were spared [...]
Big Brother: Can your employer monitor your whereabouts? September 1, 2025 As businesses grapple with the current economic challenges, the support measures previously offered to employees during the pandemic are being tightened. However, as companies adopt more stringent monitoring practices, the question arises: where is the line drawn between necessary oversight and the invasion of employee privacy? Headlines have been lighting up over the last year [...]
Natwest and Lloyds shares lead £8bn plunge amid bank tax fears August 29, 2025 Shares in a number of Britain’s biggest banking giants tumbled on Friday as speculation that Rachel Reeves would use the sector for an easy cash grab ramped up. Natwest topped the FTSE 100’s fallers, losing over five per cent. Meanwhile, Lloyds was down nearly four per cent, Barclays just over two per cent, whilst HSBC [...]
Business confidence edges up despite tax raid fears August 29, 2025 Business confidence has grown for the fourth consecutive month, according to a fresh survey, despite rising speculation of a fresh tax raid on businesses by the Labour government. Lloyds Bank’s business confidence index edged up two points to 54 per cent in August as sentiment among manufacturers climbed to its highest in a decade. The [...]
Rachel Reeves told ‘copy Margaret Thatcher’ with bank tax raid August 29, 2025 Britain’s banking titans are back in the hot seat as Rachel Reeves faces renewed calls to hike taxes on lenders. The self-described “iron Chancellor” has been advised to take a leaf out of Margaret Thatcher’s book with a fresh levy on banks that would hand the Treasury up to £8bn a year. The levy – [...]
UK tech leaders back home turf for growth as AI drives investment August 28, 2025 The UK is increasingly being viewed by its own tech entrepreneurs as the most attractive country in which to build and scale a technology company, according to a new report. Barclays Bank’s latest Business Prosperity Index revealed that a majority of tech leaders now view Britain as offering stronger growth prospects than its international rivals [...]
Banking net zero club to change structure after member exodus August 27, 2025 The global banking industry’s climate group will hold a vote on the future of its structure following a mass exodus of members. The Net-Zero Banking Alliance (NZBA) will determine whether it will transform from a membership-based alliance to a “new framework initiative”. It comes after the world’s banking giants fled the group as the financial [...]
One in ten UK banking jobs at risk from AI August 27, 2025 Bankers across the UK could be on the chopping block as the industry piles billions into AI. The push into the modern tech will put some 27,000 roles at risk – representing ten per cent of the UK banking sector’s workforce. By 2030, banks across the country will have piled over £1.8bn into generative AI [...]
Monzo ramps up the banking battle for Gen Alpha August 21, 2025 Monzo has made a major play to secure the next generation of savers as banking giants look to secure a grip on the Gen Alpha market. The London-based fintech has added a three percent interest rate to its savings account for Under 16s. This catapults Monzo above its rivals’ rate offer for children’s accounts. TSB [...]
Atom chair: Big banks don’t know their role in economic growth August 20, 2025 The chair of digital bank Atom has slammed Britain’s banking giants for failing to drive the country’s economic ambitions. Lee Rochford, who had tenures at Virgin Money, RBS and BNP before Atom, said it was “increasingly unclear what role [top banks] are playing in driving better customer outcomes or supporting UK economic growth”. Chancellor Rachel [...]