This week, I was pleased to attend the annual Financial and Professional Services Dinner at Mansion House, hosted by the Lady Mayor of the City of London, Alderwoman Dame Susan Langley.
The dinner brought together leaders from across government, industry and regulation at a pivotal moment for the UK’s growth and competitiveness agenda. We were pleased to hear from the Lady Mayor, the Chancellor of the Exchequer and the Governor of the Bank of England. The Chancellor reflected on the progress made over the past two years to strengthen the UK’s position as a leading destination for investment, innovation and growth.
The Lady Mayor also highlighted the role the Square Mile plays as a global financial district, spreading prosperity across the whole United Kingdom. She outlined the work she has been doing to respond to the global digital environment in which statements are made as if they are facts, without any scrutiny or verification, whilst also using the physical assets of the Mansion House to promote the UK’s role as a critical global player in the financial and professional services industry.
Announcements and publications this week have signalled continued momentum behind reforms designed to unlock investment, strengthen skills, accelerate innovation and support growth and prosperity across the UK. They range from the launch of the Financial Services Skills Compact, and pension reform to progress on wholesale digital markets, UK-US financial cooperation on innovative financial activities, and an AI adoption plan for financial services. But the direction of travel is clear: creating an environment where capital, talent and innovation can thrive.
The City of London Corporation were particularly proud to announce InvestConnect – a new AI-enabled digital platform designed to connect global institutional investors with infrastructure opportunities across the UK’s nations and regions.
We look forward to working with policymakers, regulators, industry and investors to help shape the next phase of the UK’s investment, growth and competitiveness agenda.
