Policymaker engagement

Creating conditions for UK businesses to succeed in global markets

We have three areas of focus: 

• The Public Affairs Group (PAG) brings policymakers together with senior industry representatives for conversation on the current public and parliamentary debate on financial services and the industry's role in the jobs and growth agenda. The main policy themes typically discussed are tax, regulation and skills, in the context of our underlying objective of making the UK the best place in the world to locate and grow a financial and related professional services business.

• The International Regulatory Strategy Group (IRSG) brings together senior representatives from across the financial services industry to discuss, comment on and influence the international and European processes of regulatory reform.
  
  
• The Liberalisation of Trade in Services Committee (LOTIS) works in the same way towards removing barriers to international trade in financial services.

Together, the PAG, the IRSG and the LOTIS Committee aim to engage with policy, regulatory and trade regimes at national, regional and global levels so as to promote open, competitive and fair markets for financial and related services providers. They coordinate a collective industry approach, working closely with the UK government (HM Treasury, the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, and other departments and agencies) and with EU and international authorities.

Specific objectives are to protect and promote the competitive position of the UK’s financial and related professional services industry, and to ensure that:

• EU and international regulation is appropriate and proportionate

• The European and international regulatory reform debate focuses on regulatory convergence

• Barriers to trade in global markets are removed

• Discrimination and protectionism do not impede business.

Strong business relationships at home and abroad

 We have excellent working relationships with senior officials in:

• HM Treasury

• The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

• The Financial Services Authority

• The Foreign and Commonwealth Office

• The Ministry of Justice

We are also well connected overseas, liaising regularly with: 

• UK Embassies and High Commissions

• European Institutions, including the Council (bringing together the member-states), the Commission (which drafts EU legislation and is the EU's trade negotiator) and the European Parliament (which has a wide legislative role)

• International institutions such as the Financial Stability Board, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, and the World Trade Organisation

• European and international partners, including the European Services Forum and the Global Services Coalition, with shared interests in working with business, government officials, think-tanks and academia who are committed to open worldwide markets for trade in services.

A detailed list of our upcoming Policy and Public Affairs focused events is available here.