Key achievements in 2022: Regions and nations

TheCityUK National Conference

Our most recent National Conference was held in Edinburgh, in partnership with SFE and sponsored by PwC and State Street. It included a series of panel discussions on critical industry issues: levelling up, trust and reputation, diversity and skills, and the green finance landscape one year on from COP26. Around 260 delegates also heard keynote speeches from across the political spectrum - Andrew Griffith MP, Economic Secretary to the Treasury, Anas Sarwar MSP, Labour Leader in Scotland and the Rt Hon Nicola Sturgeon MSP, former First Minister of Scotland.

Regional economic research

We have recently published two major regionally-focused reports: ‘Enabling growth across the UK’, which explores the contribution the industry makes to every region and nation of the country alongside detailed policy recommendations.; and ‘Exporting from Across Britain’, which examines the role of financial and related professional services exports to the each region and nation of Great Britain. Both reports generated widespread regional media coverage and were supported by a bespoke mailing to MPs, highlighting the benefits the industry brings to each of their constituencies. These benefits were also promoted to MPs and peers at our parliamentary reception.

The map below shows the positive impact of financial and related professional services in each region and nation across the UK.

Click on a region or nation to find out more:

Influencing the ‘levelling up’ agenda

The government has previously adopted a number of our recommendations to make levelling up a success, including appointing a Cabinet-level minister with overall responsibility for the agenda and clear metrics. We were pleased that the Government’s Levelling Up White Paper also reflected several of our policy asks, including the roll out of Local Skills Plans, a more resilient digital infrastructure and plans for nationwide gigabit capable broadband. More recently, the Chancellor adopted our recommendation to create more metro mayors in England as part of his Autumn Statement.

We have continued to see our policy positions reflected in government and opposition thinking, with greater devolution of powers in new areas like skills, the creation of new metro mayors and an increased role for devolved leaders in trade promotion all now being advocated for or implemented. When the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill was introduced to parliament, we sent briefings to relevant MPs and made a written submission to the Bill Committee. We also met with the shadow minister responding to the Bill, Alex Norris MP, emphasising our focus on skills, greater devolution, supporting regional exports, infrastructure and green growth.

We have continued an active programme of regional roundtables including with Emma Hardy MP, Co-Chair of the APPG on Apprenticeships, Jamie Driscoll, Metro Mayor of the North of Tyne and John Stevenson MP, Chair of the Northern Research Group of Conservative MPs. We also organised a policymaker roundtable in with Clive Betts MP, Chair of the Levelling Up Select Committee.

In response to member feedback we have continued to campaign for greater flexibility in the Apprenticeship Levy. Working with the Financial Services Skills Commission, we have raised these points with HM Treasury officials, members of the APPG on Apprenticeships and the Shadow Levelling Up team. This engagement is ongoing. It was promising to see Lord Blunkett recommend much greater flexibility for the Apprenticeship Levy in a recent report which will inform Labour policy. We are pursuing this with the Labour Shadow Education Team and have already raised the issue with Shadow Skills Minister Toby Perkins MP.