UK and US launch joint task force on the future of financial markets

The Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves, hosted US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent at Downing Street recently for a joint industry roundtable. The meeting reaffirmed the close ties between London and New York as leading global financial centres and announced the creation of a new Transatlantic Taskforce for Markets of the Future.
Purpose of the task force
The task force will provide recommendations to both governments on how the UK and US can work more closely together in areas such as:
-
Digital assets - exploring both short-term opportunities while regulation is still developing and long-term possibilities for innovation in wholesale digital markets.
-
Capital markets - identifying ways to make it easier for UK and US firms to raise funds across borders, reducing unnecessary burdens and strengthening competitiveness.
The task force will feed its recommendations through the existing UK-US Financial Regulatory Working Group and report within 180 days.

The latest Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A) data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) reveal a depressing landscape for UK companies. Foreign acquisitions of UK companies soared in value to £25.4 billion, up £9.7 billion from Q1 2026 and £15.7 billion higher than Q2 2025, highlighting how cheap UK company valuations are compared to foreign markets.

The UK government has unveiled its comprehensive response to the consultation on the post-2025 rollout of smart meters for non-domestic sites.

.png)
.png)