Rachel Reeves’ growth policies scored by City AM October 20, 2025 As Rachel Reeves does her maths ahead of the 26 November Budget, she will hope that Labour’s policies have delivered enough growth to limit the number of tax hikes needed to restore her £9.9bn fiscal headroom. The fiscal black hole facing the Treasury could be between £20bn and £30bn due to higher borrowing costs, productivity [...]
Rachel Reeves gears up for £1bn savings in Motability October 17, 2025 Rachel Reeves is reportedly planning a £1bn savings package through cuts to the Motability scheme offered to disabled people. As part of a drive to plug a £30bn hole in the public purse, the Chancellor is considering reducing the number of BMWs and Mercedes some disability claimants can access through the Motability scheme, which is [...]
Former Aviva chief executive dies in car crash October 16, 2025 The former UK boss of insurance giant Aviva has died in a car crash, after his vehicle collided with a tree. David Barral, who held senior roles as Aviva Life and Pensions, was driving his Aston Martin when it crashed on the A58 between Bardsey and Collingham just outside his native Leeds on Tuesday. “We [...]
The FCA’s refusal to regulate AI is pushing the problem onto City firms October 9, 2025 The FCA claims it does not regulate technology, only outcomes, but this line of thinking can only go so far with AI, writes Omar Salem.
FCA orders lenders to pay £11bn in motor finance compensation October 7, 2025 The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has announced that it expects lenders to make 14.2 million payouts to individuals affected by unfair motor finance agreements, totalling around £11bn in compensation. The FCA estimates people would receive around £700 per agreement, on average. It has also been calculated that around 85 per cent of eligible consumers would [...]
The scandal of the defence start-ups getting debanked October 2, 2025 No one should be debanked – made effectively bankrupt – because of their political views, but when it’s done to start-ups vital to defence, it endangers us all, says James Graham Few knew what debanking was in the summer of 2023 when news emerged that Nigel Farage’s account had been shut down. His bank initially [...]
Lime boss defends e-bikes amid ‘lime bike leg’ concerns September 27, 2025 Lime has become an unavoidable presence on London’s streets. Its distinctive green e-bikes are now the backbone of the capital’s micro-mobility network, with more than four million unique riders and tens of millions of trips recorded. The company has added 900 new parking bays this year alone as part of a “London Action Plan” designed [...]
The Long Tail: The crucial role of Managing General Agents September 17, 2025 As the fastest-growing segment in property and casualty (P&C) insurance globally, managing general agents (MGAs) are attracting significant investment and playing a crucial role in closing the protection gap. MGAs utilise capital from large insurers to underwrite on their behalf, allowing insurers access to specialised product lines without having to build in-house capabilities. In the [...]
How AXA UK&I boss is building a £7bn insurance powerhouse September 16, 2025 If AXA UK&I was listed on the London Stock Exchange in its own right, it would be part of the FTSE 100, its chief executive Tara Foley has said. The AXA group is one of France’s best-known financial services firms, and its financials reflect this, having generated over €110bn (£95bn) in 2024. While back at [...]
Taxpayers give over billions for new vehicles under Motability scheme September 11, 2025 The budget for new vehicles under the Motability scheme for disabled people is higher than expenditure on school repairs across the UK, fresh analysis has indicated, in further evidence of the breakdown of the social contract. Number-crunching by the free market think tank Adam Smith Institute has shown that the scheme, which allows disabled people [...]