Tread carefully with reform of bank ringfencing, chancellor | Nils Pratley

Rachel Reeves called it “the biggest set of reforms to financial regulation in a decade”, and, in one narrow sense, her Leeds Reforms would qualify for the description. If the ringfencing regime for banks were to be scrapped, we really would be entering a new era – or going back to an old one, since the separation of banks’ retail and investment banking activities was the single biggest regulatory change introduced after the 2008-09 crash to try to prevent another blow-up.Reeves on Tuesday, however, merely announced a review to look at how reforms to ringfencing could “strike the right balance between growth and stability, including protecting consumer deposits”. One hopes that does not mean outright abolition, which is what banks such as HSBC, Lloyds and NatWest have been urging on the grounds that the rules trap capital and impede growth.The stout defence of ringfencing from Andrew Bailey, governor of the Bank of England, has always felt more compelling: the regime has made banks safer and removal would increase the cost of loans and mortgages

JP Morgan chief defends independence of Fed chair amid Trump attacks

The boss of JP Morgan Chase, Jamie Dimon, has defended the “absolutely critical” independence of the Federal Reserve chair, as Donald Trump continues to demand immediate cuts in interest rates.The US treasury secretary, Scott Bessent, said on Tuesday that a formal process for choosing a successor to the Fed chair, Jerome Powell, had already begun – despite the fact that his term does not end until next May.Trump has repeatedly criticised Powell, calling him “very dumb” and a “major loser”, and urging him to slash interest rates. The president posted a handwritten note to Powell on social media last week, saying: “You have cost the USA a fortune and continue to do so. You should lower the rate – by a lot!”Powell has said in turn that rate cuts have been delayed by Trump’s tariff policies, which many policymakers fear will boost inflation

BAE Systems says it is ‘confident’ of receiving orders for Typhoon jets

The British weapons manufacturer BAE Systems has said it is confident of receiving further export orders for the Typhoon fighter jet, a development that would secure the future of several hundred jobs at its factory in Lancashire.The company is hoping for as many as 150 more orders for the jet, with up to two-thirds of those expected to be assembled in the UK. It comes after Unite, a union representing manufacturing workers, raised concerns over the future of the assembly line at Warton.Richard Hamilton, who leads work on the Typhoon for BAE Systems, said he was “really confident” of future orders, with Turkey, Qatar and Saudi Arabia the likely buyers.FTSE 100 manufacturer BAE Systems is the UK’s dominant defence maker, producing weapons ranging from tanks, to warships and nuclear submarines, as well as fighter jets

FTSE 100 breaks 9,000-point barrier to reach new high

Britain’s blue-chip stock index has risen through the 9,000-point mark to reach a new high.The FTSE 100 share index hit 9,016.98 points in early trading on Tuesday, taking its gains during 2025 to more than 10%.Analysts said the London stock market had benefited from a range of factors this year, including a move by some investors to diversify away from US shares because of concerns about Donald Trump’s economic policies.The US president’s trade war has also helped UK stocks, as Britain is one of the few countries to have reached a trade deal guaranteeing lower tariffs

FTSE 100 share index hits 9,000 points for the first time; US inflation rate rises to 2.7% – as it happened

Newsflash: Britain’s blue-chip stock index has risen through the 9,000 point mark to hit a new record high.The FTSE 100 share index hit 9,016.98 points at the start of trading in London, up around 0.2% today, taking its gains during 2025 to over 10%.That’s a new intraday high for the “Footsie” (as it is known in City circles)

US inflation rose in June as Trump’s tariffs start to show in prices

Inflation accelerated in June as the impacts of Donald Trump’s tariffs slowly started to show in US prices.Business leaders have said for months that the high, volatile rates of Trump’s tariffs will force companies to raise consumer prices. Prices remained stable in the spring, particularly as many of Trump’s highest tariffs were paused; however, they started increasing in May and have continued to rise in June.Annual inflation rose to 2.7% in June, up from 2