Could Kemi Badenoch be our next Prime Minister? January 14, 2026 Tory leader Kemi Badenoch has several critical personal talents that are not easily replicated, and the polls are starting to move in her favour, says George Trefgarne Something astonishing is happening in British politics. Bedevilled by an entire generation of dud politicians, including now Sir Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves, we suddenly find that a [...]
The City has moved on from Brexit January 14, 2026 Whisper it, but Brexit is slowly inserting itself back into our national conversation. We remain, thankfully, a long way from the frenzied tribalism of the referendum campaign or the energy-sapping parliamentary drama that followed, but while these days Nigel Farage may be more interested in small boats than backstops, the issues is being discussed – [...]
EU banking rules could ‘choke investment’ from booming City January 14, 2026 The European Union threatens derailing its economic growth through changes to banking regulation after London beefed up its lending capacity following a Brexit boom. The 27-state bloc is set to bring in new legislation which will effectively ban non-EU banks from providing core banking services – such as lending and taking deposits – without establishing [...]
From Brexit to Berne: Financial services enter a new era of global cooperation January 12, 2026 2026 will be a year for collaborating with international partners to tackle shared challenges, reduce cross-border financing barriers, and promote investment, says Dame Susan Langley Henry Ford once said that “coming together is a beginning, keeping together is progress, but working together is success”. As global ambassador for the UK’s financial and professional services sector, my goal for 2026 is [...]
City pushes back against closer ties with EU January 9, 2026 Keir Starmer’s plan to foster closer economic ties with the European Union is likely to exclude financial services after senior City figures pushed back against the reintroduction of EU regulations. The prime minister has called for “closer ties” with the EU in a bid to boost economic growth, with senior cabinet members including justice secretary [...]
British investors fled the stock market at a record rate in 2025 January 7, 2026 British investors pulled out of the stock market at a record pace last year, as Budget uncertainty sparked a flight to safe haven assets. Equity fund outflows hit £6.7bn in 2025, twice the rate suffered in 2016, the year of the Brexit referendum, where outflows reached £3.3bn, according to global funds network Calastone. December marked [...]
Slow Berne: The UK-Switzerland financial services agreement is a quiet Brexit victory January 7, 2026 The Berne Financial Services Agreement is a mature, alignment and recognition deal that replaces regulatory empire building with mutual recognition, and political symbolism with commercial reality, says Tim Focas New Year is usually a moment for resolutions, reflection and overconfident promises about the year ahead. Politics, by contrast, tends to start January exactly as it [...]
Accenture bets on British AI talent with Faculty buy January 6, 2026 Professional services firm Accenture has announced the acquisition of London-based AI specialist Faculty, in a deal that cements the City’s role as a global talent hub. The Dublin-based US firm said the acquisition will bring more than 400 AI specialists into Accenture’s workforce, deepening its capabilities in applied AI, decision intelligence and AI safety. The [...]
Brexit division to return to parliament in bill for EU deal January 6, 2026 New dividing lines are set to open up in parliament over the coming months as the government prepares to lay out a bill to get its EU “reset” deal signed off by MPs. Keir Starmer has signalled his intention to build closer trade ties with the world’s largest economic bloc in a bid to boost [...]
Employers brace for more layoffs as headcount expectations drop January 6, 2026 Employers are preparing to lay off more staff as higher payroll costs from taxes and red tape are hitting headcount expectations, an industry survey has found. The Institute of Directors’ monthly business confidence survey showed that headcount expectations dropped in December after Rachel Reeves’ Budget unveiled a salary sacrifice cap and higher taxes on airports [...]