Bank of England interest rate rises yet to pass fully through economy as borrowing ticks up July 31, 2023 The effects of the Bank of England’s aggressive interest rate rises have yet to fully feed through the UK economy as Brits continue to borrow and look to get on the property ladder, official data out today shows. A clutch of numbers released by the Bank of England today revealed consumers are not yet being [...]
Savings rates: Nine big banks face ‘robust’ action if they can’t prove fair value July 31, 2023 The nine largest banks have passed on just 28 per cent of base rate increases in easy access savings accounts since the beginning of last year, as the City watchdog issued a new set of rules to ensure savers get a fair deal. Under new rules coming into place, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) said [...]
BT appoints first woman boss in 170-year history as Allison Kirkby to continue long-term fibre strategy July 31, 2023 BT has announced a successor for outgoing boss Philip Jansen, as Allison Kirkby, a former chief of Nordic telecoms giant Telia. The ailing British telecoms group appointed its first female boss in its 170 year history, who will take the reins from Jansen starting January 2024 “at the latest”. Jansen will continue to serve until [...]
Bank of England to hike interest rates for 14th time in a row to 2008 high of 5.25 per cent July 31, 2023 The Bank of England this week is tipped to hike interest rates for the 14th time in a row as it extends its fight against roaring inflation. Members of the nine-strong monetary policy committee (MPC) are expected on Thursday to back a 25 basis point increase to the UK’s official interest rate, which would send [...]
Crying misogyny over Alison Rose’s downfall won’t do Labour any favours July 31, 2023 Rachel Reeves made a mistake in attributing Alison Rose's fate to misogyny. The government had a right to get involved in the Coutts saga, but Reeves was out of tune in her intervention, writes Eliot Wilson
Contrary to group think, businesses have a right to choose clients July 31, 2023 As Shakespeare would have surely written were he alive today, what a tangled web we weave, when we first practice to debank a former UKIP leader. The fallout from Nigel Farage’s highly publicised spat with Coutts and, in turn, Natwest, will continue for some time yet, but the details of the saga are less interesting [...]
Interest rate boost slowing for banks as changing customer behaviour cuts margins July 30, 2023 The UK’s high street banks have warned that the boon from rising interest rates might be coming to an end as changing customer behaviour and an increasingly competitive mortgage market hits margins. Natwest, Barclays and Lloyds recorded bumper profits last week, but investors were dismayed by the more cautious outlook. Both Natwest and Barclays UK [...]
Debanking: Number of account closures since 2016 skyrockets as banks take tough line on financial crime July 30, 2023 The number of bank accounts being closed climbed to nearly 350,000 last year as banks adopted an increasingly vigilant stance towards their customers. According to data from a freedom of information request submitted by the Daily Mail to the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), the number of accounts being closed has increased from under 50,000 in [...]
Not helpful if NatWest chair quits over Farage feud, says City minister July 29, 2023 It would not be “helpful” for the NatWest chairman to quit now as the bank seeks to rebound from the crisis over Nigel Farage’s Coutts bank account, the City minister has said. Andrew Griffith, who has led the Government’s response to the row, offered his backing to Sir Howard Davies after days of pressure on the [...]
Anti Brexit activist Gina Miller warns ‘we don’t have a functioning democracy’ after party’s Monzo account shut July 28, 2023 Anti-Brexit campaigner Gina Miller has warned that “we don’t have a functioning democracy” if new political parties cannot access banking services after she was told her own party’s account would be shut. The Government and financial services watchdog must step in and ensure new parties and MPs can access banking to be able to operate, [...]