Across Europe insurers are still nervously watching macro-economic trends and market volatility, fearful of more unexpected adverse movements, according to the European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority (EIOPA).

We haven't talked about ESG or net zero in a while. This is not to say it's not important, but other matters have crowded in ahead, as markets and sentiment prevaricate over each day's new data points.

A recent survey of chief financial officers at 22 leading European insurers by ratings agency Moody’s put persistent inflation at the top of their list of concerns for the next 12 months.

The view that the UK is the sick man of the G7 economies when it comes to growth is misplaced, with key data on growth and trade showing the UK firmly in the middle of the major economies, according to Simon French, chief economist at Panmure Gordon.

The UK life insurance sector’s solvency ratios are currently at a record high, according to Fitch Ratings.

Sam Woods, chief executive of the Prudential Regulation Authority, attempted to put the tense and sometimes fractious debate about post-Brexit reforms to Solvency II to bed with a conciliatory speech on the eve of this week’s Association of British Insurers' annual conference.