UK financial sector seeks stronger accountability of regulators

By Huw Jones

LONDON (Reuters) - A new sector-wide body could help ensure that Britain's financial regulators fully comply with their new remit of aiding international competitiveness when writing rules, an industry lobby group said on Thursday.

Tougher competition in financial services - including from the European Union following Brexit, and from New York attracting UK company listings - has prompted the UK government to set out a welter of reforms to boost capital markets.

This included giving the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and the Bank of England's Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) objectives to help boost competitiveness and economic growth.

Industry is sceptical how much of a difference this will make, however.

TheCityUK, which promotes the UK financial sector abroad, said the government should reconsider a proposal it initially rejected to form a new body to help scrutinise whether the FCA and PRA are applying the new remit.

There appears to be a growing political consensus that some type of external body is required to provide expertise and a long-term strategic view on regulatory performance, TheCityUK said in a report in conjunction with law firm Freshfields on Thursday.

Bruce Carnegie-Brown, chair of TheCityUK's leadership council and chair of the Lloyd's of London insurance market, said the report called for regulators to recognise their role in supporting Britain's international competitiveness.

"What we need is efficiency, proportionality, and an understanding of the strengths and weaknesses in the context of an increasing number of global competitors," Carnegie-Brown told TheCityUK's annual international conference.

Sarah Pritchard, executive director for supervision at the FCA, said the watchdog already provided "world leading standards of accountability and transparency" in its work, and would engage actively with TheCityUK report's analysis.

But focusing simply on competitiveness would mean losing sight of a bigger picture that includes high regulatory standards to create the right foundation for longer term investment and growth in a way that sustains trust and Britain's reputation, Pritchard told the conference.

Bim Afolami, Britain's financial services minister, said regulators had a "vital role" to play in facilitating the international competitiveness of the UK economy.

"I strongly welcome today's report from TheCityUK and Freshfields which will help us benchmark and build on our performance," Afolami said.

(Reporting by Huw Jones; Editing by Tomasz Janowski and Mark Potter)