(Bloomberg) — Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt said he is “very attracted” to the idea of creating a tax-free savings account for investing in British stocks — a so-called British ISA — as part of efforts to boost the UK’s struggling stock market.
Speaking in a fireside chat with Bloomberg’s Francine Lacqua at TheCityUK’s annual dinner in London on Thursday evening, Hunt said he is open to the idea as a way of channeling more investment into domestic firms, though he is still deciding what to include in his Budget on March 6.
“Do I want to do things that mean that more UK capital is invested in our most promising companies? Absolutely,” Hunt said when asked about the prospect. “Something like a British ISA, it could be very good at that.”
Hunt has faced calls from various investors and City grandees to create such an ISA, who say it would lift the British economy and encourage more listings in London. UK…
