Our work

The IRSG welcomes the FCA’s principles-based approach to regulating ESG ratings providers, emphasising proportionality, international coherence and clarity to foster transparency, competition and innovation. It also calls for ongoing dialogue and practical guidance to ensure consistent implementation and high-quality ESG ratings in a globally aligned market.

This economic research report highlights the importance of services to Britain’s overall economic position. It also displays the significant contribution of Britain's regions and nations to the growth of financial and related professional services exports, with nearly half of exports originating outside London.

Our response welcomes the government’s aim to reform leasehold and commonhold, but raises serious concerns about the draft Bill’s retrospective changes, arbitrary ground rent cap and unintended consequences for pension savers and retirement housing. We recommend a more targeted approach using the new property register to distinguish between owner-occupiers and private landlords, ensuring reforms benefit those most in need.

Read our response to the Financial Conduct Authority’s (FCA) review into the long-term impact of AI on retail financial services (The Mills Review), which outlines our members’ perspectives regarding the potential for AI to transform UK retail financial services in the medium to long term, and provides recommendations for regulators and firms to facilitate responsible innovation at this stage.

As part of our work to build a nation of investors, we’ve responded to the FCA’s consultation on client categorisation. The proposed reforms would modernise how retail and professional clients are defined, ensuring protections and access to investment better reflect investors’ experience, resilience and risk awareness.

Our response highlights how the proposed reforms to non-compete clauses threaten to undermine the UK’s competitiveness and its appeal as a destination for business, investment and talent. Restricting such clauses would counteract the government’s policy objectives, especially in knowledge-intensive industries where their benefits are well established.

Read the responses from the International Regulatory Strategy Group (IRSG) to the FCA consultation papers 25/40: Regulating Cryptoasset Activities, and 25/41 Regulating Cryptoassets: Admissions & Disclosures and Market Abuse Regime for Cryptoassets

Read our response to Home Office's consultation on Earned Settlement, highlighting our concern that the proposals risk conflicting with the broad intention to position the UK as a global destination for high-skilled talent and run counter to wider objectives.

This joint paper with Jersey Finance and Guernsey Finance highlights the complementary strengths each island brings to the British family of financial centres, spanning funds, private wealth, corporate services, insurance and cross-border investment.