UK bank bosses and John Healey set for tax showdown October 5, 2026 When banking lobbyists geared up for an offensive ahead of the 2025 Budget, a tax cut barely made the wishlist. Modest in their ambitions, advocates were preparing to settle for anything that didn’t see their already eye-wateringly high tax bill rise. That is until, City AM understands, officials advised them to make a cut a [...]
‘Disastrous’: Average five-year fixed mortgage rate surges to six per cent October 5, 2026 The average five-year fixed mortgage rate has broken the six per cent mark for the first time in three years after a fresh raft of lenders hiked prices. The typical five-year agreement has hit six per cent, according to Moneyfacts, while the average two-year is a whisker behind at 5.98 per cent. It is the [...]
Raising bank taxes will reduce jobs, former Chancellor Hunt warns Healey October 5, 2026 Former Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has issued John Healey a major warning over any increase to the level of taxes paid by UK banks ahead of the forthcoming Budget. The top Tory MP, who has sat on the back benches since Labour came to power in 2024, said Healey must ignore the “siren voices” calling for [...]
FTSE 100 suffers worst single-day sell-off since May as banks brace for tax raid October 1, 2026 The FTSE 100 has suffered its biggest single-day drop since May as European markets are hit by a continent-wide rout in the bond markets, which has pushed western government borrowing costs to multi-decade highs. London’s blue-chip index dropped by two per cent in early trading, erasing all its gains from the third quarter in a [...]
‘Last days of the honeymoon’: Anxious bosses prepare charm offensive at Labour conference September 25, 2026 Ahead of the Labour Party Conference on Sunday, and one month away from the Budget, businesses are feeling nervous, write Mauricio Alencar and Felix Armstrong Stepping onto an early-morning Avanti West Coast train from London Euston is now a familiar feeling for the Prime Minister. Andy Burnham is set to make the journey more regularly [...]
Why are women leaving the tech industry twice as fast as men? September 24, 2026 Women have the skills and ambition to stay in tech, but too many hurdles are forcing them out, writes Vanessa Vallely in today's Notebook
Natwest makes first VC fund bet in push to back British tech September 23, 2026 Natwest has made its first direct investment into an independently managed venture capital fund, joining a push by some of Britain’s biggest financial institutions to funnel more domestic money into UK tech companies. The banking giant is investing across top venture capital firm Phoenix Court’s Localglobe, Latitude and Solar funds, which back companies from their [...]
Aldermore’s sale interest shows banks are over motor finance September 17, 2026 Lloyds, Nationwide and Investec are all tipped to be circling Aldemore as its South African over prepares a sale. Samuel Norman takes a look at the runners and riders and what it could do for the market. Has the banking industry finally moved on from motor finance? The number of suiters circling Aldermore suggest as [...]
Natwest chair: Boost investment in UK or risk ‘inter-generational crisis’ September 17, 2026 The chair of Natwest has warned the UK is in a “moment of national crisis” that can only be fixed by firing up investment in the country’s flagging economy. Rick Haythornthwaite, the City grandee who has also chaired the boards of Mastercard and Ocado, told City AM that years of political instability and poor decision-making [...]
The Debate: Should the City drop its ban on tower logos? September 16, 2026 A 1911 ruling by the City of London Corporation means businesses are still unable to adorn their skyscrapers with logos. Should this change?