Barclays follows HSBC in ditching net zero banks club August 1, 2025 Barclays has become the second London-based bank to exit the net zero banks club as the financial services industry continues to row back on climate policies. The FTSE 100 giant – which recorded a £1bn profit jump for the second quarter – said on Friday the UN-convened Net Zero Banking Alliance (NZBA) “no longer has [...]
London could have new bridges for free – but we’re funding Nimbys and woke charities instead July 31, 2025 The City Bridge Foundation is an ancient fund with deep pockets whose specific purpose is to build and maintain London’s bridges – so why is it paying for woke charities and indirectly giving money to Nimby groups? Asks John Murphy “Politics is all about trade-offs,” we’re told. “You can’t please everyone,” says the wizened old [...]
Corporate retreat from DEI isn’t smart, it’s wimpish July 11, 2025 Brands retreating from DEI in a bid not to offend anybody will soon find themselves irrelevant, writes Jack Richards.
Corporate Pride, where art thou gone? July 5, 2025 Sure, Corporate Pride was far from perfect, but I'd take the rainbow lanyards over silence, writes Geraldine Gallacher.
Is Labour changing its mind about the OBR? June 27, 2025 Labour is becoming increasingly disillusioned with the OBR as the reality sets in that no anount of forecasting can solve Britain’s spending problems, says Paul Ormerod How fashions change! Less than a year ago, Labour politicians were falling over themselves to praise the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR). Labour was elected on a promise of [...]
Blaise Metreweli is a boot in the face for DEI June 23, 2025 Blaise Metreweli has been appointed as the first female head of MI6 from an all-woman shortlist composed on merit alone. It’s proof that some women don’t need DEI to break glass ceilings, says Eliot Wilson Just over a week ago, it was announced that Blaise Metreweli, a career intelligence officer currently serving as director general [...]
Financial services firms expected to dump green finance and DEI June 18, 2025 The financial services industry is taking a dramatic step back from green finance and diversity policies. Over half of UK senior financial professionals believe their leadership will place less focus on environmental, social and governance (ESG) policies in the coming years. Meanwhile, a similar proportion, 54 per cent, believe diversity, equality and inclusion commitments will [...]
HSBC Asset Management’s sustainability boss to depart as sector pivots on ESG May 5, 2025 The top sustainability boss at HSBC Asset Management is set to leave the firm amid chief executive Georges Elhedery’s review of the lender’s environmental, social and governance (ESG) policies. Erin Leonard’s exit, as first reported by Reuters, follows Celine Herweijer, the bank’s former chief sustainability officer, leaving the firm at the end of last year. [...]
British firms sticking to DEI policies despite Trump crackdown April 8, 2025 UK business leaders are not adjusting their approach to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) despite many high profile American counterparts rowing back on their policies in the face of pressure from the Trump administration, a survey has found. According to a poll conducted by the Institute of Directors (IoD), more than seven in 10 (71 [...]
