On 14 July 2026, HM Treasury (HMT) published an update on its financial services growth and competitiveness strategy (FS Strategy) one year after publication.

Background

The FS Strategy, published in July 2025, set out a ten-year plan for the UK to be the world’s centre of choice for financial services

On 14 July 2026, HM Treasury (HMT) published a consultation paper in relation to modernising payment services regulation.

Background

The government’s National Payments Vision sets out its ambition to ensure the UK has a trusted, world-leading payments ecosystem delivered on next generation technology, where consumers and businesses have a choice of payment methods

On 14 July 2026, HM Treasury (HMT) published a consultation paper in relation to ring-fencing reform.

Background

At Mansion House 2025, as part of the Financial Services Growth and Competitiveness Strategy, the Chancellor confirmed her intention to uphold the ring-fencing regime to protect depositors and financial stability while taking forward meaningful reform

On 14 July 2026, HMT published recommendations of the Transatlantic Taskforce for Markets of the Future (TTMF).

Background

TTMF was jointly announced by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves, and the US Secretary of the Treasury, Scott Bessent. The Taskforce committed to report back to both finance ministries with initial recommendations via

On 14 July 2026, HMT published the financial services skills compact (the Compact).

Background

HMT sets out that the Compact reflects a shared agreement between government and signatory firms to work together to close skills gaps in UK financial services.

Summary

The Compact asks signatory firms to take action to close skills gaps through

On 14 July 2026, the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) published a speech by David Bailey, Executive Director of Prudential Policy, in relation to the role of research in Prudential Regulation.

Summary

Bailey’s speech focuses on how the PRA uses research to advance its objectives, but in particular its secondary competitiveness and growth objective

Our podcast mini-series on ‘Crypto under the FCA’ examines the FCA’s highly anticipated policy statements published on 30 June 2026, which collectively shape the new regulatory regime for cryptoassets in the United Kingdom. This latest podcast in the series focuses on custody and six key themes – trust arrangements, delegation, reconciliations, settlement float, private key

On 13 July 2026, the European Commission adopted a delegated regulation setting out three sets of regulatory technical standards (RTS) relating to transparency requirements for trading venues and investment firms in respect of derivatives, package orders, and input and output data for the OTC derivatives consolidated tape under the Markets in Financial Instruments