City Of London

UK Tones Down ‘Big Bang’ Finance Plan to Avoid Backlash

  • Ministers expected to stop using Big Bang term, source says
  • MiFID research reform may be among measures announced Friday

Andrew Griffith, the City Minister, will unveil a relatively muted package of post-Brexit reforms on Friday to boost the UK’s financial services industry. 

Photographer: Chris J. Ratcliffe/Bloomberg
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The UK government will move away from talking about a “Big Bang 2” for the City of London, in part a recognition of the fact that changes will be gradual due to their complexity and opposition from critics.

Ministers are expected to stop using the phrase, a reference to dramatic reforms in the 1980s that made London a global financial center, according to a person familiar with the matter. The shift reflects a wish to build support among a broad range of stakeholders and to position growth in financial services as an opportunity for the wider country.