Time for a British sovereign fund? Treasury seeks views from experts (2024)

By John-Paul Ford Rojas

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Treasury officials are exploring the idea of setting up a sovereign wealth fund in what could deliver a boost to households and markets ahead of the General Election, The Mail on Sunday understands.

A well-placed City source said officials have been seeking input from financial sector experts to see how such a scheme might work.

Foreign sovereign wealth funds are best known in the UK for buying up luxury property and investing in everything from the London Stock Exchange Group to Harrods and Heathrow Airport.

One idea being put forward for a homegrown fund is to pool nationally-owned assets along the lines of Singapore's Temasek sovereign wealth fund.

These could include some of those held by UK Government Investments, which owns shares in 24 companies ranging from Network Rail and the Royal Mint to engineering firm Sheffield Forgemasters and a 39 per cent stake in lender NatWest.

UKGI manages assets of more than £1 trillion – which generate about £30 billion of income – some of which could be distributed to taxpayers or used to improve public services. Experts say any UK state investment fund would need to be on a huge scale to compete with the foreign titans.

Even the fragmented Local Government Pension Scheme, which looks after the nest eggs of six million council workers and has total assets of £360 billion, if combined would not be one of the top dozen global sovereign wealth funds (see table).

But the idea of a domestic wealth fund is gaining traction across the political divide, with Labour recently proposing a national wealth fund to boost investment in infrastructure and green projects – but it would be funded by borrowing.

Sovereign wealth funds are typically paid for by surplus revenues – such as Norway's, which reinvests its vast North Sea oil wealth. It is now the biggest sovereign wealth fund in the world with assets of £1.2 trillion. The pot helps to shield the Norwegian economy from ups and downs in energy prices, acts as a financial reserve and is a long-term savings plan for both current and future generations.

Britain did not opt for such a scheme when its North Sea oil boom began in the 1970s. Instead, successive governments used the proceeds from oil and gas fields to keep public borrowing down rather than to build a fighting fund to tackle long-term problems such as our ageing population.

But even that approach has failed to curb the national debt, which has ballooned to £2.6 trillion – almost as much as the UK's entire annual economic output.

The sovereign wealth fund plan, which is at an early stage, could build on separate Treasury aims to create a vehicle to boost pension funds' investment in high-growth companies.

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The Mail on Sunday understands that the Treasury is not actively considering the idea for now, but it has not been ruled out. A source with knowledge of the matter was struck by the fact officials were willing to consider the idea after decades of Treasury orthodoxy which in the past would have seen it dismissed out of hand.

But Tory MP John Penrose described a UK sovereign wealth fund as a 'game-changingly big idea'. He said: 'It would help us deal with three of the biggest problems Britain is facing. We don't save and invest enough compared to pretty much all of our rivals.

'Our ageing population is a demographic time bomb which will blow the welfare state apart if we don't reinforce it quickly.

'And we're far better at inventing new ideas than turning them into world-beating businesses which create jobs and wealth in the UK.'

A number of overseas sovereign wealth funds have invested heavily in property and infrastructure in the UK in recent years. They include gas-rich Qatar which owns stakes in Barclays, Sainsbury's and British Airways. Russ Mould, investment director at AJ Bell, said it was easy to see why the idea was on the Chancellor's agenda.

He said: 'It presumably ties in with his desire to reinvigorate the flagging UK stock market, promote ownership of UK equities and provide a stable base of shareholders – and perhaps access to pools of capital – for companies that are of strategic importance.'

A Treasury spokesman said: 'As the Chancellor set out this year, we are looking at ways the Government can facilitate investment. This would build on the skills and expertise of the British Business Bank, which has helped mobilise £15 billion of capital into over 20,000 companies.'

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Time for a British sovereign fund? Treasury seeks views from experts (11)

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Time for a British sovereign fund? Treasury seeks views from experts (2024)

FAQs

Time for a British sovereign fund? Treasury seeks views from experts? ›

Treasury seeks views from experts. Treasury officials are exploring the idea of setting up a sovereign wealth fund

sovereign wealth fund
A sovereign wealth fund (SWF), sovereign investment fund, or social wealth fund is a state-owned investment fund that invests in real and financial assets such as stocks, bonds, real estate, precious metals, or in alternative investments such as private equity fund or hedge funds.
https://en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Sovereign_wealth_fund
in what could deliver a boost to households and markets ahead of the General Election, The Mail on Sunday understands.

What are the four benchmarks of sovereign wealth funds? ›

In summary, the benchmarks of SWFs can be condensed to four words: (1) Legitimacy (2) Intent (3) Performance (4) Endurance However, I choose to use the longer versions of these benchmarks in this paper to emphasize the more general structure and considerations conveyed by their complete titles.

What does a sovereign wealth fund seek to do? ›

A sovereign wealth fund, or SWF, is a state-owned investment fund that taps into a country's cash reserves. The goals of an SWF are to boost a country's economy and the well-being of its citizens through investments in stocks, bonds, real estate and other areas with growth potential.

What are the cons of sovereign wealth funds? ›

Pros and Cons of Sovereign Wealth Funds

There are certain cons of the SWF, such as the returns of SWF are not guaranteed though predicted. A downturn in SWF can also impact the foreign exchange rates negatively. There is a lack of transparency in certain SWFs, which may lead to mismanagement of funds.

Who benefits from sovereign wealth funds? ›

Many nations use sovereign wealth funds as a way to accrue profit for the benefit of the nation's economy and its citizens. The primary functions of a sovereign wealth fund are to stabilize the country's economy through diversification and to generate wealth for future generations.

Are sovereign wealth funds risky? ›

Because of their dual mission to generate financial as well as social returns, their redemption risk is most probably higher than that of other long-term investors, such as endowment funds.

What is the largest sovereign wealth fund in the world? ›

Norway's sovereign wealth fund, the world's largest, was established in the 1990s to invest the surplus revenues of the country's oil and gas sector. To date, the fund has put money in more than 8,500 companies in 70 countries around the world.

Does the USA have a sovereign wealth fund? ›

Some countries may have more than one SWF. Also, while the United States does not have a federal sovereign wealth fund, several of its states have their own SWFs.

Why doesn t britain have a sovereign wealth fund? ›

Britain did not opt for such a scheme when its North Sea oil boom began in the 1970s. Instead, successive governments used the proceeds from oil and gas fields to keep public borrowing down rather than to build a fighting fund to tackle long-term problems such as our ageing population.

Why doesn t the US have a sovereign wealth fund? ›

The USA is quite unique in the world. And in a very real way, it is not a Sovereign Entity, except in matters of Treaty and Defense. So, that's why. The Federal government hold no wealth beyond the Federal Reserve.

Are sovereign wealth funds taxable? ›

SWFs generally enjoy favorable tax treatment in the U.S., but this treatment is subject to specific limitations; SWFs typically require separate LPA provisions or side-letter protection to ensure that their favorable tax treatment is not thwarted by the activities of the funds in which they invest. US Tax Exemption.

Who manages a sovereign wealth fund? ›

A state's central bank will generally hold the sovereign wealth fund; in the process of its management of a nations funds or banking system funds will be accumulated.

Where do sovereign wealth funds get their money? ›

The funding for a SWF can come from a variety of sources. Popular sources are surplus reserves from state-owned natural resource revenues, trade surpluses, bank reserves that may accumulate from budgeting excesses, foreign currency operations, money from privatizations, and governmental transfer payments.

How many sovereign wealth funds exist? ›

Sovereign wealth funds (SWFs) have over $11.5 trillion in assets under management as of February 2023. Most of these 176 funds are sponsored by non-Western countries and their growth has made SWFs important international investors, particularly in private equity funding.

What are the 24 Santiago principles? ›

The Santiago Principles consists of 24 generally accepted principles and practices voluntarily endorsed by IFSWF members. The Santiago Principles promote transparency, good governance, accountability and prudent investment practices whilst encouraging a more open dialogue and deeper understanding of SWF activities.

Are sovereign wealth funds a growing form of foreign? ›

Question: Sovereign wealth funds (SWFs) are a fast growing form of foreign direct investment. The size of these funds and the fact that they are investments from the government coffers of other nations might be a cause for concern.

What are the 4 components of wealth? ›

Everyone has four basic components in their financial structure: assets, debts, income, and expenses. Measuring and comparing these can help you determine the state of your finances and your current net worth. You can think of them as the vital signs of your financial circ*mstances.

What are benchmarks in funds? ›

A benchmark is a standard or measure that can be used to analyze the allocation, risk, and return of a given portfolio. A variety of benchmarks can also be used to understand how a portfolio is performing against various market segments. The S&P 500 index is often used as a benchmark for equities.

What are the four investment criteria? ›

Focus on the things you can control
  • Goals. Create clear, appropriate investment goals. An investment goal is essentially any plan investors have for their money. ...
  • Balance. Keep a balanced and diversified mix of investments. ...
  • Cost. Minimize costs. ...
  • Discipline. Maintain perspective and long-term discipline.

What are the four pillars of value investing? ›

In summary, The Four Pillars of Investing is an important tool for investors looking to design a more successful investment portfolio. Investors can make better financial decisions by comprehending the four pillars of theory, history, psychology, and business.

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