City blows away gloomy Brexit forecasts as profits soar at fastest rate since 2015 January 13, 2022 The City is blowing gloomy forecasts that Brexit would hit its financial services industry out of the water, reveals a fresh study released today. Profits at the Square Mile’s biggest banks, brokers and insurers are accelerating at the hottest pace since before Brexit, according to the UK’s leading business group. City firms’ resurgence will help [...]
London notches best year for floats since 2007 January 11, 2022 A wave of listings flooded London markets last year as private firms pushed to capitalise on strong investor demand, reveals new figures published today. Some 121 businesses floated in the City in 2021, the highest volume since 2007, according to research carried out by consultancy EY. Newly listed firms raised over £16bn in the capital [...]
Brits scrambling for early Christmas presents boosts credit lending to 16-month high January 4, 2022 Brits scrambling to get their hands on Christmas presents early to avoid shortages boosted credit card spending to a 16-month high, reveal official figures released today. Households in the UK took on £1.2bn in net consumer debt in November, the highest level in nearly a year and a half, according to the Bank of England. [...]
Deloitte faces lawsuit by former employee over harassment claims December 29, 2021 An ex-Deloitte female has sued the Big Four firm over allegations that her former employer did not protect her from harassment perpetrated by a male partner and its investigation into the incident was corrupt, according to reports. In court documents seen by the Financial Times, which first reported the news, Katrina Jones called the behaviour [...]
2021 in review: Furlough is government’s big success story, but Rishi Sunak’s £69bn lifesaver comes at a price December 27, 2021 Furlough has become a household word in recent years. The scheme that protected the jobs of nearly nine million Britons at its peak has been hailed as the big success story of the Government’s Covid support measures as the jobs market rebounds at an impressive pace. The warnings of soaring joblessness that struck fear into [...]
Lockdowns a blessing in disguise for the City and Canary Wharf: Strict travel restrictions slowed Brexit exodus of bankers December 23, 2021 Three lockdowns in England made relocations for bankers in the City and Canary Wharf impossible, thereby significantly slowing an exodus of finance professionals post-Brexit. Closed borders and harsh travel restrictions imposed on the general public earlier this year led to banks postponing the relocation of some of its professionals, according to professional services firm EY. [...]
UK hits highest borrowing to GDP ratio since the 60s December 21, 2021 The UK borrowed a further £17.4bn in November, bringing the overall borrowing to GDP ratio to levels not seen since the 1960s. Net debt now sits at 2,317bn, around 96.1 per cent of GDP. While it is around £5bn less than November last year, the figure is also the second-highest November borrowing on record, the [...]
Insurer Hiscox names new group chief financial officer December 21, 2021 International insurer Hiscox Ltd has announced former EY partner and industry expert Paul Cooper as its new group chief financial officer. A qualified chartered accountant who trained with PwC, Cooper is currently the interim group chief financial officer of M&G Plc, a FTSE 100 asset manager and life insurer. Cooper will be rewarded with a [...]
Post-Brexit City jobs exodus to continent eases as firms maintain London footprint December 20, 2021 The exodus of City jobs to the continent after Brexit is easing as firms push to maintain a strong presence in London, reveals new figures published today. The number of staff relocations from the capital to the EU dipped over the last year to 7,400, according to research by consultancy EY. London’s top investment banks [...]
PMI: Omicron curbs on daily life wreak havoc on UK economy December 16, 2021 Strict restrictions on Brits’ daily lives are wreaking havoc on the UK economy, reveals a closely watched survey released this morning. The flash purchasing managers’ index (PMI), a timely indicator of the health of the British economy, plummeted to 53.2 in December, a 10-month low and down from 57.6 in November, according to IHS Markit [...]