All articles by Douglas Blakey
Douglas Blakey
Interview: Simon Bateman, CEO Recognise Bank on full year profitability for the first time
UK SME property lending bank, Recognise Bank, reports a post-tax profit of £8.9m for the year to 31 March 2026, following a £5.3m loss in 2025
Europe’s Capital Markets and the case for interoperable infrastructure
Nicolas Micheli explores why deeper capital markets will depend on increasing investor participation, harmonising legal frameworks and enabling different infrastructures to work seamlessly together than forcing consolidation for its own sake
The top five AI trends reshaping banking in 2026
As AI adoption accelerates, the focus shifts from implementing AI tools to embedding AI safely and effectively across core banking operations. Tamsin Crossland discusses where transformation is already evident
Dimon fires warning shot and wider industry reaction to new UK PM, Chancellor
JP Morgan Chase CEO, Jamie Dimon, warns that the new UK prime minister and new chancellor must get it right if the UK is to remain an attractive place to do business
Blueprint for Intelligent Small Business Credit Part 1: Achieving Viable Economics – new Celent report alert
Celent report focuses on four pillars of economic viability: know your customer/business, develop service level agreements across teams, reinvent workflows with AI and alternative data, and pioneering new models
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Bank of England plans to ease bank capital rules to boost lending, risking weaker credit quality
Bank of England to ease bank capital rules to boost lending and growth, but warns it may raise leverage, weaker credit, and AI-linked risks, writes Bhavya Patel
Has premium banking become too predictable?
If every bank and card issuer offers broadly the same range of premium services and product add-ons, Ashwini Pandey asks what differentiates one from another?
Sainsbury’s retreat highlights strong competition in the UK banking industry
Sainsbury’s partnership with NatWest mirrors Tesco teaming up with Barclays and reflects a broader shift in the UK banking sector, writes Andrei Vukicevic
The great bank migration: Banking loyalty must now be earned
As US consumers increasingly switch banks in search of better rates, digital experiences and transparency, Alastair Wood discusses how financial institutions must continuously earn customer loyalty by delivering value and building stronger, more personalised relationships
ToneTag’s eKosha brings AI-powered banking to India’s 72 million SMEs
eKosha is a voice-first AI assistant enabling app-free local banking and credit access for SMEs, yet adoption will hinge on trust, writes Bhavya Patel