London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Aug 22, 2025

Ex-CMA chair and private sector bosses lobby Sunak over regulators

Ex-CMA chair and private sector bosses lobby Sunak over regulators

The former CMA chairman is part of a new group urging Rishi Sunak to examine the role of regulators in a bid to boost Britain's economic competitiveness.
Lord Tyrie, the former chair of the competition watchdog, is among a group of parliamentarians and private sector chiefs who have joined forces to examine whether regulators are acting as a barrier to investment in Britain.

Sky News has learnt that Bim Afolami, a backbench Conservative MP, has written to the prime minister to call for a "regulatory framework which is pro-innovation, pro-investment and [which] will help the UK to become a more globally competitive economy".

Mr Afolami wrote to Rishi Sunak in his capacity as chair of the Regulatory Reform Group, which includes Lord Tyrie and MPs such as Sir Robert Buckland, Vicky Ford and Mark Garnier as members.

A private sector advisory council chaired by Tracy Blackwell, chief executive of Pension Insurance Corporation, will work in conjunction with the parliamentarians, according to a copy of the letter seen by Sky News.

Among the other companies represented on the advisory council are NatWest Group, the taxpayer-backed lender, buyout giant CVC Capital Partners and London Stock Exchange Group.

One source familiar with the new group's agenda said its aim was to examine how the UK could create "a smarter regulatory system - one which is not simply focused on deregulation for its own sake".

Its establishment comes amid debate about the timing of what has been dubbed a post-Brexit bonfire of EU laws.

Mr Afolami's letter said the new group would focus on "how regulatory change could benefit communities and households across this country, not just the business community".

It added that regulators were "as critical as government departments themselves [but]…are rarely subjected to similar levels of scrutiny".

"We must acknowledge the fundamental impact of Brexit upon our regulatory environment," the letter said.

"For the first time in decades, UK regulators can chart their own course.

"To make the most of these newfound freedoms, it is important that we fully consider the direction we as a country want to head in, and what will ultimately lead to a more globally competitive and fairer economy for both business and consumers."

The new group said it was crucial that Britain succeeded in "growth areas" such as artificial intelligence, digital technologies and advanced manufacturing, which "often stray across multiple sectors and span multiple regulatory remits".

Other members from some of these sectors are expected to be named to the advisory council in due course.

WPI Strategy, a public affairs firm, is understood to be providing research and communications support to the RRG and advisory council.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Ukraine Declares De Facto War on Hungary and Slovakia with Terror Drone Strikes on Their Gas Lifeline
Animated K-pop Musical ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ Becomes Netflix’s Most-Watched Original Animated Film
New York Appeals Court Voids Nearly $500 Million Civil Fraud Penalty Against Trump While Upholding Fraud Liability
Elon Musk tweeted, “Europe is dying”
Far-Right Activist Convicted of Incitement Changes Gender and Demands: "Send Me to a Women’s Prison" | The Storm in Germany
Hungary Criticizes Ukraine: "Violating Our Sovereignty"
Will this be the first country to return to negative interest rates?
Child-free hotels spark controversy
North Korea is where this 95-year-old wants to die. South Korea won’t let him go. Is this our ally or a human rights enemy?
Hong Kong Launches Regulatory Regime and Trials for HKD-Backed Stablecoins
China rehearses September 3 Victory Day parade as imagery points to ‘loyal wingman’ FH-97 family presence
Trump Called Viktor Orbán: "Why Are You Using the Veto"
Horror in the Skies: Plane Engine Exploded, Passengers Sent Farewell Messages
MSNBC Rebrands as MS NOW Amid Comcast’s Cable Spin-Off
AI in Policing: Draft One Helps Speed Up Reports but Raises Legal and Ethical Concerns
Shame in Norway: Crown Princess’s Son Accused of Four Rapes
Apple Begins Simultaneous iPhone 17 Production in India and China
A Robot to Give Birth: The Chinese Announcement That Shakes the World
Finnish MP Dies by Suicide in Parliament Building
Outrage in the Tennis World After Jannik Sinner’s Withdrawal Storm
William and Kate Are Moving House – and the New Neighbors Were Evicted
Class Action Lawsuit Against Volkswagen: Steering Wheel Switches Cause Accidents
Taylor Swift on the Way to the Super Bowl? All the Clues Stirring Up Fans
Dogfights in the Skies: Airbus on Track to Overtake Boeing and Claim Aviation Supremacy
Tim Cook Promises an AI Revolution at Apple: "One of the Most Significant Technologies of Our Generation"
Apple Expands Social Media Presence in China With RedNote Account Ahead of iPhone 17 Launch
Are AI Data Centres the Infrastructure of the Future or the Next Crisis?
Cambridge Dictionary Adds 'Skibidi,' 'Delulu,' and 'Tradwife' Amid Surge of Online Slang
Bill Barr Testifies No Evidence Implicated Trump in Epstein Case; DOJ Set to Release Records
Zelenskyy Returns to White House Flanked by European Allies as Trump Pressures Land-Swap Deal with Putin
The CEO Who Replaced 80% of Employees for the AI Revolution: "I Would Do It Again"
Emails Worth Billions: How Airlines Generate Huge Profits
Character.ai Bets on Future of AI Companionship
China Ramps Up Tax Crackdown on Overseas Investments
Japanese Office Furniture Maker Expands into Bomb Shelter Market
Intel Shares Surge on Possible U.S. Government Investment
Hurricane Erin Threatens U.S. East Coast with Dangerous Surf
EU Blocks Trade Statement Over Digital Rule Dispute
EU Sends Record Aid as Spain Battles Wildfires
JPMorgan Plans New Canary Wharf Tower
Zelenskyy and his allies say they will press Trump on security guarantees
Beijing is moving into gold and other assets, diversifying away from the dollar
Escalating Clashes in Serbia as Anti-Government Protests Spread Nationwide
The Drought in Britain and the Strange Request from the Government to Delete Old Emails
Category 5 Hurricane in the Caribbean: 'Catastrophic Storm' with Winds of 255 km/h
"No, Thanks": The Mathematical Genius Who Turned Down 1.5 Billion Dollars from Zuckerberg
The surprising hero, the ugly incident, and the criticism despite victory: "Liverpool’s defense exposed in full"
Digital Humans Move Beyond Sci-Fi: From Virtual DJs to AI Customer Agents
YouTube will start using AI to guess your age. If it’s wrong, you’ll have to prove it
Jellyfish Swarm Triggers Shutdown at Gravelines Nuclear Power Station in Northern France
×