Santander and BMW in High Court spat over motor finance dispute Banking Santander and Volvo are taking BMW to the High Court over a dispute related to motor finance deals, City AM can reveal. The Spanish banking giant, along with Volvo Financial Services, is claiming the carmaker caused damages after auto dealers unlawfully re-sold the same luxury vehicles to BMW, leaving both firms claiming ownership over the [...]
Five lenders hike mortgage prices as interest rate threat looms Banking Five lenders hiked the price on their mortgage deals to kick off the week as the threat of the Bank of England increasing interest rates looms over the UK economy. Barclays has raised its rates on a fleet of products by nearly 0.2 per cent, with its two-year fixed rate rising to 5.53 per cent [...]
Banks ombudsman on the hook for millions in legal fees to Barclays and Santander Banking The UK’s banks ombudsman could be forced to pay millions to a group of the UK’s top lenders after the High Court quashed four decisions the body made earlier this year on overdrafts and credit cards. The Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) has been put on the hook for what could top £2m in legal fees after the court [...]
Treasury sought to cap motor finance payouts, court filings claim September 1, 2026 The government sought to cap payouts in the motor finance scandal at a level lenders could absorb and the City regulator acted “unlawfully” in failing to protect consumers, new court filings seen by City AM allege. Both the Treasury and Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) are facing fresh scrutiny over the motor finance redress scheme as [...]
Exclusive: City giants tighten trans policies August 14, 2026 City firms are being forced to tighten up inclusion policies and prevent transgender staff from using single-sex bathrooms, after the equalities watchdog published fresh directions on enforcing the seismic Supreme Court ruling on gender last year. Square Mile giants including Admiral, Coventry Building Society and Santander have all updated their HR procedures to bar trans [...]
Don’t hike bank taxes, Barclays warns Burnham July 28, 2026 Barclays has warned Andy Burnham not to slap fresh taxes on banks, as fears grow the new prime minister could take advantage of lenders’ bumper earnings to launch a raid on the sector. Speaking after Barclays’ half-year results this morning, executives warned that banks already faced the highest rates of tax globally and saddling them [...]
Rachel Reeves to unveil next steps for ring-fencing reform at Mansion House July 13, 2026 Rachel Reeves will outline the next steps of her ring-fencing reforms at Mansion House on Tuesday, City AM can reveal, in what is expected to be one of her last acts in the Treasury. The Chancellor will launch a consultation to seek industry input on the implementation of a package of reforms announced in May, including the [...]
City watchdog suspends parts of £9bn motor finance scheme after industry backlash July 2, 2026 The UK’s financial watchdog has suspended parts of its under-fire £9bn motor finance redress scheme amid fierce backlash from industry and consumer groups. In a statement on Thursday, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) said the suspension will require firms to continue preparations for its scheme but avoid work that “may need to be repeated” if [...]
Halifax ends 173-year high street run as Lloyds ditches branding July 1, 2026 Lloyds Banking Group is set to ditch its Halifax brand in a move that will end the retail bank’s 173-year run on the high street. The FTSE 100 titan – whose subsidiaries also include Bank of Scotland and Scottish Widows – said on Wednesday it would rebrand Halifax under the central moniker of Lloyds. Lloyds [...]
City launches new Digital ID framework against AI fraud June 30, 2026 The City of London Corporation has unveiled plans for a new digital identity framework it claims could unlock more than £5bn for the UK economy, as policymakers and the financial sector race to tackle increasingly sophisticated AI-enabled fraud. A blueprint published on Tuesday proposes a “Digital Verification Orchestrator”, or DVO – a system set to [...]