Simon Youel
@youellog.bsky.social
Head of Policy & Advocacy at Positive Money UK. Visiting Research Fellow, University of Manchester Law & Technology Initiative. Own views etc
Reposted by Simon Youel
Good letter from @youellog.bsky.social responding to this. www.ft.com/content/244c...
Letter: Banks waste far too much on payouts to shareholders
From Simon Youel, Head of Policy & Advocacy, Positive Money; Visiting Research Fellow, University of Manchester, UK
www.ft.com
November 20, 2025 at 9:23 AM
Good letter from @youellog.bsky.social responding to this. www.ft.com/content/244c...
Reposted by Simon Youel
If this is the case, then publishing this piece is a poor editorial decision to say the least. We should, at a minimum, expect stated financial statistics to be broadly accurate in the Financial Times.
FT: "The UK bank bashing must stop ... Banks ... are not exactly raking it in", "ROE numbers ... barely reach 10%"
Pete Davies (Lansdowne): "I think UK banks, unhedged, make about a 30% ROE at the moment" (Jun-24)
Big 4 UK banks reported 12-19% ROTE YTD
www.ft.com/content/b570...
Pete Davies (Lansdowne): "I think UK banks, unhedged, make about a 30% ROE at the moment" (Jun-24)
Big 4 UK banks reported 12-19% ROTE YTD
www.ft.com/content/b570...
The UK bank bashing must stop
If Britain is serious about growth, it needs strong lenders with the capacity to reinvest in financing the economy
www.ft.com
November 3, 2025 at 9:55 AM
If this is the case, then publishing this piece is a poor editorial decision to say the least. We should, at a minimum, expect stated financial statistics to be broadly accurate in the Financial Times.
Reposted by Simon Youel
NEW: UK taxpayers are losing £22 billion every year from losses at the Bank of England - the same as the entire Home Office annual budget. This is the result of a flawed implementation of the BoE's quantitative easing programme. We propose two steps to fix this leak. (1/4)
August 29, 2025 at 6:59 AM
NEW: UK taxpayers are losing £22 billion every year from losses at the Bank of England - the same as the entire Home Office annual budget. This is the result of a flawed implementation of the BoE's quantitative easing programme. We propose two steps to fix this leak. (1/4)
Reposted by Simon Youel
“High interest rates are a form of economic rent and should be kept as low as possible."
Our @youellog.bsky.social pushes back on the misguided suggestion that the Bank of England should be setting interest rates well above inflation in @thetimes.com via @georgenixon97.bsky.social
bit.ly/3IITWen
Our @youellog.bsky.social pushes back on the misguided suggestion that the Bank of England should be setting interest rates well above inflation in @thetimes.com via @georgenixon97.bsky.social
bit.ly/3IITWen
Poor savings rates and inflation wipe 11p off every £1
There are calls for the Bank of England to act to protect our cash from the damaging effects of high inflation
www.thetimes.com
July 23, 2025 at 10:43 AM
“High interest rates are a form of economic rent and should be kept as low as possible."
Our @youellog.bsky.social pushes back on the misguided suggestion that the Bank of England should be setting interest rates well above inflation in @thetimes.com via @georgenixon97.bsky.social
bit.ly/3IITWen
Our @youellog.bsky.social pushes back on the misguided suggestion that the Bank of England should be setting interest rates well above inflation in @thetimes.com via @georgenixon97.bsky.social
bit.ly/3IITWen
Reposted by Simon Youel
In 2020, Brazil launched Pix, a public digital payment system during Covid. It is now dominant, undercutting credit & debit card providers, reducing transaction costs, enhancing productivity & increasing financial competition.
Don't tell me the state can't innovate.
www.economist.com/the-americas...
Don't tell me the state can't innovate.
www.economist.com/the-americas...
April 19, 2025 at 6:28 PM
In 2020, Brazil launched Pix, a public digital payment system during Covid. It is now dominant, undercutting credit & debit card providers, reducing transaction costs, enhancing productivity & increasing financial competition.
Don't tell me the state can't innovate.
www.economist.com/the-americas...
Don't tell me the state can't innovate.
www.economist.com/the-americas...
Excited to have joined the University of Manchester's Law and Technology Initiative as a Visiting Research Fellow
Looking forward to building the future of public money with @johnhaskell.bsky.social and the talented fellows I am lucky to be working with
www.law-tech.manchester.ac.uk/research/vis...
Looking forward to building the future of public money with @johnhaskell.bsky.social and the talented fellows I am lucky to be working with
www.law-tech.manchester.ac.uk/research/vis...
Visiting Research Fellows | Manchester Law and Technology Initiative | The University of Manchester
www.law-tech.manchester.ac.uk
March 3, 2025 at 1:21 PM
Excited to have joined the University of Manchester's Law and Technology Initiative as a Visiting Research Fellow
Looking forward to building the future of public money with @johnhaskell.bsky.social and the talented fellows I am lucky to be working with
www.law-tech.manchester.ac.uk/research/vis...
Looking forward to building the future of public money with @johnhaskell.bsky.social and the talented fellows I am lucky to be working with
www.law-tech.manchester.ac.uk/research/vis...
Struggle to follow this reasoning from the government - do they think cash Isas literally function like cash under the bed?
What is stopping banks using Isa funding to invest? Is the government saying they don't trust banks to optimally allocate capital?
www.theguardian.com/money/2025/f...
What is stopping banks using Isa funding to invest? Is the government saying they don't trust banks to optimally allocate capital?
www.theguardian.com/money/2025/f...
February 20, 2025 at 10:46 AM
Struggle to follow this reasoning from the government - do they think cash Isas literally function like cash under the bed?
What is stopping banks using Isa funding to invest? Is the government saying they don't trust banks to optimally allocate capital?
www.theguardian.com/money/2025/f...
What is stopping banks using Isa funding to invest? Is the government saying they don't trust banks to optimally allocate capital?
www.theguardian.com/money/2025/f...
Reposted by Simon Youel
What could possibly go wrong. t.co/se9BwENDAr
February 19, 2025 at 11:02 PM
What could possibly go wrong. t.co/se9BwENDAr
Maybe it's just me, but I'm not sure I will ever get over how the government talks so much about the need to reduce 'wasteful' public spending while effectively funneling tens of billions of pounds a year to the banking sector
www.bankofengland.co.uk/asset-purcha...
www.bankofengland.co.uk/asset-purcha...
February 11, 2025 at 3:21 PM
Maybe it's just me, but I'm not sure I will ever get over how the government talks so much about the need to reduce 'wasteful' public spending while effectively funneling tens of billions of pounds a year to the banking sector
www.bankofengland.co.uk/asset-purcha...
www.bankofengland.co.uk/asset-purcha...
At first I wondered what the Bank of England is trying to achieve here...but then I realised that this is their strategy for dealing with inflation - guilting people into cutting back on spending
Like the squanderbug for today's boring dystopia
www.ladbible.com/news/bank-of...
Like the squanderbug for today's boring dystopia
www.ladbible.com/news/bank-of...
Take the BoE quiz now for a chance of winning £1,000
To be in with the chance of winning up to £1,000, take the Bank of England quiz to test your money IQ here.
www.ladbible.com
January 28, 2025 at 5:24 PM
At first I wondered what the Bank of England is trying to achieve here...but then I realised that this is their strategy for dealing with inflation - guilting people into cutting back on spending
Like the squanderbug for today's boring dystopia
www.ladbible.com/news/bank-of...
Like the squanderbug for today's boring dystopia
www.ladbible.com/news/bank-of...
Reposted by Simon Youel
⚡ NEW BLOG ⚡
tldr: financial markets caused temporary turmoil for the government this month, in a move that has likely now triggered public spending cuts, just to make "a quick buck"
(but you really should read it 👇)
positivemoney.org/update/how-d...
tldr: financial markets caused temporary turmoil for the government this month, in a move that has likely now triggered public spending cuts, just to make "a quick buck"
(but you really should read it 👇)
positivemoney.org/update/how-d...
How deregulation may have worsened Rachel Reeves’ bond market headache
If Labour wants to win the next election, they may have to depart from the failed orthodoxy that favours free-reigning financial markets coupled with cuts
positivemoney.org
January 21, 2025 at 2:27 PM
⚡ NEW BLOG ⚡
tldr: financial markets caused temporary turmoil for the government this month, in a move that has likely now triggered public spending cuts, just to make "a quick buck"
(but you really should read it 👇)
positivemoney.org/update/how-d...
tldr: financial markets caused temporary turmoil for the government this month, in a move that has likely now triggered public spending cuts, just to make "a quick buck"
(but you really should read it 👇)
positivemoney.org/update/how-d...
Allowing hedgefunds to dictate fiscal policy by shorting sovereign debt doesn't strike me as a good idea, but I suppose it's a necessary sacrifice we must make to increase the Competitiveness and Growth of the financial sector, the Crown Jewel Of Our Economy
January 15, 2025 at 2:16 PM
Allowing hedgefunds to dictate fiscal policy by shorting sovereign debt doesn't strike me as a good idea, but I suppose it's a necessary sacrifice we must make to increase the Competitiveness and Growth of the financial sector, the Crown Jewel Of Our Economy
Reposted by Simon Youel
Good example of what is often wrong with journalism about economic issues.
The report takes as given the statement “spending cuts is the most economically viable option”.
It is far from established fact that, under current circumstances, further cuts are more “economically viable” than tax rises.
The report takes as given the statement “spending cuts is the most economically viable option”.
It is far from established fact that, under current circumstances, further cuts are more “economically viable” than tax rises.
January 9, 2025 at 4:55 PM
Good example of what is often wrong with journalism about economic issues.
The report takes as given the statement “spending cuts is the most economically viable option”.
It is far from established fact that, under current circumstances, further cuts are more “economically viable” than tax rises.
The report takes as given the statement “spending cuts is the most economically viable option”.
It is far from established fact that, under current circumstances, further cuts are more “economically viable” than tax rises.
Reposted by Simon Youel
Indeed. This is only 'bad news' because the central bank is compelled to aim for an arbitrary number that will become ever less feasible as climate effects and geopolitical tensions intensify.
I know this just isn’t how the politics work (and wrote a thing about that recently), but…
… 5% wage growth and 3% inflation just sounds ideal to me.
After the stagnation of the 2010s, we should be loving this!
… 5% wage growth and 3% inflation just sounds ideal to me.
After the stagnation of the 2010s, we should be loving this!
December 18, 2024 at 12:15 PM
Indeed. This is only 'bad news' because the central bank is compelled to aim for an arbitrary number that will become ever less feasible as climate effects and geopolitical tensions intensify.