Government pushes Bank of England to innovate on payments and digital currencies August 27, 2026 The Bank of England will be tracked on its progress on UK payments regulation after it was handed a new objective by ministers. The central bank will be given a new secondary objective to support innovation in payment systems and new forms of digital currencies alongside its main goals of financial stability. The Treasury is [...]
Economists urge Bank of England to halt bond sales as borrowing costs climb August 26, 2026 The Bank of England should abort its costly approach to unwinding quantitative easing, which is stoking the government’s elevated borrowing costs and costing the taxpayer billions of pounds, a group of analysts and bond investors have said. The government’s long-term borrowing costs have risen to levels not seen this century, amid unease at the country’s [...]
Why Manchester City’s £86m Bouaddi signing should ring alarm bells in French football August 25, 2026 Manchester City’s €100m (£86m) signing of Lille midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi is more than just another example of a super-rich European giant hoovering up a promising talent. It is also the latest sign of French football’s talent drain, a phenomenon fuelled by the Premier League’s ever-growing spending power and the financial struggles of most of Ligue [...]
A love letter to Sweetings, the City’s oldest restaurant August 25, 2026 Ahead of our Toast the City Awards this October, we pay homage to Sweetings, the City’s oldest restaurant Britain is a country steeped in tradition and often too wedded to the past, but it also proved itself capable of great innovation. We should never forget that the Square Mile is a perfect example of world-changing [...]
UK government takes stake in miner after £71m injection August 25, 2026 The government’s National Wealth Fund is set to pump £71m into miner Tungsten West in a bid to help reopen the Hemerdon mine in Devon. The funding package combines a £36m share purchase, which will hand the government a 7.4 per cent stake in Tungsten and a seat on the board of directors, and a [...]
Budget 2026: Which taxes will Burnham and Healey hike? August 25, 2026 With interest rates on course to remain elevated and a new government keen to win over sceptical voters with cost-of-living measures, economists think tax rises at October’s Budget are all but guaranteed. But where will the new Chancellor look for revenue? Ali Lyon and Mauricio Alencar examine the most likely revenue raisers. Speak to any [...]
KPMG seeks financial support from parent group in wake of audit scandal August 24, 2026 KPMG Australia has asked its parent company for financial support and laid off hundreds of staff after an audit scandal rocked the Big Four firm’s business down under. In its annual results on Monday, the Australian arm of the accounting group said it will cut its workforce by five per cent and partner pay by [...]
Digital investment nearly doubles since 2019 yet AI’s growth contributions questioned August 24, 2026 Investment in digital infrastructure has nearly doubled in the space of just five years official data has shown even as economists question whether recent gains in productivity are down to artificial intelligence. A revision of how digital infrastructure spending is calculated by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) has suggested that business investment in digital [...]
Lord O’Neill declines job in Burnham government August 21, 2026 Former Goldman Sachs executive and Tory Treasury minister Lord Jim O’Neill has declined a job in Andy Burnham’s government, in a blow to the Prime Minister as he looks to woo business ahead of the Budget. O’Neill served as an informal economic adviser to Burnham before his election as Labour leader and had been in [...]
South Africa need cash from New Zealand Tests but All Blacks fans not like Lions August 21, 2026 It is quite simple really: the Greatest Rivalry series between South Africa and New Zealand, which starts on Saturday, needs to be a real money-spinner for the Springboks. It should see every seat occupied for the three Tests – in Johannesburg and Cape Town – and healthy crowds for the All Blacks matches against the [...]