The chairman and chief executive of one of the world’s biggest banks has said countries have “got to be careful” with their budgets and ask themselves what a tax rise is for.

Bank of America’s Brian Moynihan was speaking about the UK budget to Sky’s Wilfred Frost on his The Master Investor Podcast.

While Mr Moynihan said the recent UK fiscal announcement was “fine with Bank of America”, he added that governments must be careful with financial markets’ reaction.

“All countries have to understand that the simple question a business asks is, you want higher taxes… higher taxes for what? If the ‘for what’ is not something that makes sense, that’s when you get in trouble,” Mr Moynihan said.

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The American executive was complimentary of the UK as a centre for financial services, saying, “You’ve got to realise this is one of your best industries”.

“You have many other good industries, but a great industry for you is financial services”.

The power of London

While Paris was looked to in the wake of Brexit, London has pulling power for Bank of America and its staff, Mr Moynihan said.

“London is a great city for young kids to come work. People from all over the world will come work here a while and leave, and others will stay here permanently.

“That’s the advantage you have. You’re built. And while other financial centres are trying to build…. you’re built, you’re there.”

London, he said, is Bank of America’s “headquarters of the world”.

Mr Moynihan was upbeat about the prospects for the country too. “It’s more upside for the UK right now than anything else,” he said.

Bank of America is the second-largest bank in America with a market capitalisation of nearly $300bn – making it roughly 10 times bigger than Barclays, Lloyds and NatWest, and more than three times bigger than HSBC.

Having met with the King again on his latest trip to the UK, the CEO said, “his briefing and his knowledge and his passion… it not only impresses me, but I’ve seen it in front of so many people over the last six years. It impresses everybody”.

Mr Moynihan – one of the longest-serving Wall Street chief executives – has been leading Bank of America since 2010, when he was brought after the financial crisis.

The UK has come a “step closer” to having direct, high-speed rail connections to Germany, the Department for Transport has said.

A partnership between international train operator Eurostar and German national rail company Deutsche Bahn (DB) has “set the foundation” for a fast rail connection between Britain and Europe’s largest economy, the businesses announced on Thursday.

It means the companies are exploring options to offer direct services between London and Cologne and Frankfurt.

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Such direct services would mean reaching Cologne in four hours, and Frankfurt in less than five from the capital city.

At present, rail passengers have to change trains in Brussels to reach those cities. It takes at least five-and-a-half hours to reach Frankfurt, and four-and-a-quarter hours to arrive in Cologne.

The proposed services would use existing lines and infrastructure. Passengers would board a double-decker Eurostar in London, and be spared a change of trains on the continent.

The ambition to create such links had already been announced, as had a plan to allow direct rail travel from London to Geneva, but the partnership between DB and Eurostar had not.

Will it definitely happen?

Details and technicalities are yet to be worked out, with the German train company highlighting that any services are contingent upon “the necessary technical, operational, and legal prerequisites being met”.

“Implementation by individual railway companies is considered extremely difficult,” DB said.

“Joint partnerships are therefore crucial.”

What about Berlin?

Nothing was announced for a direct service to Berlin on Thursday, despite Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander singling out the benefits and prospect of journeys from London to the German capital in July.

“The Brandenburg Gate, the Berlin Wall and Checkpoint Charlie – in just a matter of years, rail passengers in the UK could be able to visit these iconic sights direct from the comfort of a train, thanks to a direct connection linking London and Berlin,” she said at the time.

Shorter journeys, like those to Frankfurt and Cologne, are seen as more commercially viable than the current 10-hour train journey time to Berlin.

Market studies conducted by Eurostar found travellers are comfortable with international rail journeys of up to six hours.

“Our research indicates that many would choose rail over air for trips within this timeframe,” Eurostar told Sky News. “This, combined with strong business and leisure demand on this route, is why we have prioritised London to Frankfurt.”

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The Department for Transport said the focus on the two German cities was a commercial decision by Eurostar and DB, and the UK-Germany rail taskforce, established over the summer, could pave the way for further route announcements.

The energy regulator has confirmed plans for a massive upgrade to the UK’s energy grids, adding £108 to customer bills by 2031.

Ofgem said on Thursday that the £28bn investment over the next five years would bolster resilience in the transition to a renewable energy future and that much of the bill would be offset by increased efficiency.

It pointed to estimated savings for households of around £80 because of the planned investment in gas and power infrastructure, leaving a net additional contribution of £28.

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Ofgem said the £28bn sum formed part of an estimated £90bn to be invested in the energy networks by 2031, with “adaptive” funding arrangements helping to shield customers from volatility in the market.

Most of the funding announced on Thursday will go towards maintaining gas networks, which will remain a key source of energy as green power capacity is built up further.

“Investing now to maintain world-class resilience and expand grid capacity is the most cost-effective way to harness clean power, support economic growth and protect the country from gas price shocks like the one seen in 2022”, Ofgem said.

Then, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and Europe’s refusal to buy Russian gas in response, meant that energy bills hit unprecedented levels and gave birth to the wider cost-of-living crisis as higher energy costs were passed on across the economy.

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Ofgem made its announcement as costs of government energy policy and other upgrades make the biggest upwards contributions to household bills. However, the budget moved to take away some costs from April next year.

Ofgem boss Jonathan Brearley said: “The funding announced today will keep Britain’s energy network among the safest, most secure and resilient in the world. The investment will support the transition to new forms of energy and support new industrial customers to help drive economic growth and insulate us from volatile gas prices.

“But this is not investment at any price. Every pound must deliver value for consumers. Ofgem will hold network companies accountable for delivering on time and on budget, and we make no apologies for the efficiency challenge we’re setting as the industry scales up investment.

“We’ve built strong consumer protections into these contracts, meaning funds will only be released when needed and clawed back if not used. Households and businesses must get value for money, and we will ensure they do.”

A Department for Energy Security and Net Zero spokesperson said: “This government is taking action to bring down energy bills for families, with the budget taking an average £150 of costs off bills in April, and expanding our £150 Warm Home Discount to over six million families.

“Upgrading our gas and electricity networks after years of underinvestment is essential to keep the lights on and ensure energy security for our country. Without these plans, which were first set out under the previous government, costs would spiral and our security would be compromised.

“The only way to bring down bills for good and get off the fossil fuel rollercoaster is with this government’s mission to deliver clean homegrown that we control.”