Unlock the Editor’s Digest totally free
Roula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favorite tales on this weekly publication.
The UK has mentioned it’ll scrap a cap on bankers’ bonuses that was inherited from the EU as a part of its post-Brexit push to spice up the Metropolis of London.
The transfer follows a session this 12 months on whether or not to abolish a 2014 rule limiting bonuses to twice base pay for workers of banks, constructing societies and funding companies.
The UK’s high monetary regulators argued in opposition to the ban when it was launched, and since leaving the EU the federal government has claimed its removing will improve the post-Brexit competitiveness of the Metropolis by making London a extra enticing place for banks to base their employees.
In a report on Tuesday, the Financial institution of England’s Prudential Regulation Authority, which carried out the session with the Monetary Conduct Authority, mentioned “a bonus cap is just not routinely imposed in different main worldwide monetary centres outdoors the EU”.
The PRA mentioned the cap “has been recognized as a consider limiting labour mobility” and added that the change would increase monetary stability by permitting firms to cut back pay sooner throughout downturns.
The FCA mentioned the adjustments would “assist take away unintended penalties of the bonus cap” by giving companies flexibility to chop pay to cope with poor efficiency or misconduct.
The brand new guidelines take impact from October 31 and apply from this monetary 12 months. Anne Sammon, companion at regulation agency Pinsent Masons, mentioned employees whose base pay was hiked when the bonus cap was launched “will probably be contractually entitled to these increased salaries and so will solely give these up the place they’re provided some incentive to take action”.
Finance bosses privately gave a hesitant welcome to then-chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng’s announcement final September that the UK would abolish the measure, fearing a public backlash. They initially opposed the bonus cap as a result of it pressured them to raise mounted pay to retain employees.
When the thought of scrapping the cap was mooted in June final 12 months, Labour chief Sir Keir Starmer mentioned the Conservatives’ plan amounted to “pay rises for bankers, pay cuts for district nurses”. The opposition celebration has since embarked on a charm offensive to win the Metropolis over forward of the final election anticipated subsequent 12 months.
However Darren Jones, Labour’s shadow chief secretary to the Treasury, mentioned the choice to abolish the cap “at a time when households are combating the price of dwelling and mortgages are rising . . . tells you the whole lot it’s essential know in regards to the priorities of this out of contact Conservative authorities”.
Paul Nowak, basic secretary of the Trades Union Congress, the umbrella physique for the UK labour motion, criticised the choice as “obscene”.
“At a time when hundreds of thousands up and down the nation are struggling to make ends meet — that is an insult to working individuals,” he mentioned, including that the removing of the cap added to the case for “a national conversation about taxing wealth”.
The bonus cap was launched within the EU to finish the period of limitless bonuses giving an incentive to finance staff to take big dangers, which was seen as a menace to monetary stability following the 2008-09 monetary disaster.
The UK has different guidelines on pay, together with requiring a share of bonuses to be paid out over numerous years, and permitting bonuses to be clawed again in instances of misconduct, poor particular person efficiency and generally poor firm efficiency.
UK regulators on Tuesday mentioned that companies should nonetheless be sure that base pay and bonuses have been “appropriately balanced” and that bonuses weren’t so large they restrict a agency’s means to strengthen its capital base.
