UK market News

Car Premiums to Rise Again as British Insurers Feel the Heat

Motorists in Britain should brace for another year of steep insurance rises as providers confront cost pressures, industry figures have warned. Admiral Group Plc will continue increasing motor insurance prices and expects the rest of the market to follow suit, …

UK Issues Record Number of Work Visas to Fill Staff Shortages

A record 321,000 visas were issued for migrants to work in the UK in the year to June as employers scrambled to recruit from overseas amid ongoing labor shortages, according to official figures. The Home Office data showed how reliant …

Severn Trent Faces First UK Class Action Suit Over Sewage Pollution

Severn Trent Plc faces an environment class action lawsuit in London over allegations it abused its dominant position in the utilities market and underreported instances where it pumped sewage into open water. Law firm Leigh Day filed England’s first ever …

Britain to Create New Regime to Deal With Big Insurance Company Failures

Britain said on Wednesday [Aug. 2] it would start work on setting up new rules specially designed to prevent a big insurance company collapse from crashing the financial system. Regulators have already introduced rules to deal with ailing banks after …

AIG, AXA Weighing Sales of UK Businesses: Sources

Two of the world’s largest insurers are weighing the sale of businesses in the United Kingdom, according to people familiar with the matter. American International Group Inc. is working with advisers to explore a sale of its life-insurance unit in …

UK Watchdog Proposes Toughening Safeguards Against Illegal Marketing on Social Media

Britain’s financial watchdog on Monday proposed toughening up safeguards against the illegal marketing of financial products on social media by applying a stringent “consumer duty” that is being rolled out to banks, funds and insurers on July 31. The Financial …

UK Polluters to Face Unlimited Fines to Protect Environment

Polluters like water or energy companies that befoul UK rivers and seas or spill waste will face unlimited penalties and tougher sanctions, according to expanded government legislation announced on Wednesday. The government plans to scrap the current £250,000 limit on …

UK Pension Funds Back Next Phase of Post-Brexit Shakeup in City of London

Aviva, Legal & General and seven other pension firms intend to invest 50 billion pounds ($64 billion) in unlisted companies by 2030 to help the City of London remain a competitive global finance center after Brexit, finance minister Jeremy Hunt …

London Is Falling Down — Because of Climate Change

Britain’s increasingly extreme weather is shaking the very foundations of its centuries-old history. The nation has been experiencing prolonged periods of drought after wet winters since last year. That’s causing the porous rock beneath vast parts of southeast of England, …

Insurer Capital Rule Changes in UK to Start by End of 2023, Finance Ministry Says

Britain’s finance ministry said on Thursday that the first batch of post-Brexit reforms to “Solvency II” capital rules for insurers, which it hopes will unlock billions of pounds to boost growth, will be implemented by the end of this year. …