Labour shadow City minister Tulip Siddiq today (8 December) unveiled ten advisers from the City to help inform its policy for the financial sector, in a bid to leave behind memories of Jeremy Corbyn's leadership of the party.
The list of advisers includes Charles Randell, who served as FCA chair from April 2018 until spring 2022, abrdn chair Douglas Flint, London Stock Exchange chief executive David Schwimmer, Schroders chair Elizabeth Corley and Legal & General Group chair John Kingman.
Mark Carney endorses Labour's Rachel Reeves as next UK chancellor
Other members in the panel include Ron Kalifa, independent director at the Bank of England, Shriti Vadera, chair of Prudential, Anne Glover, co-founder of Amadeus Capital Partners, Susan Allen, chief executive of Yorkshire Building Society and Nigel Higgins, group chair of Barclays.
According to the FT, Labour party leader Keir Starmer and shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves will launch a review of financial services in Edinburgh later today, where they will formally announce the panel.
In an interview with the FT, Siddiq said Labour's relationship with the City had been transformed under Starmer's leadership.
"People were worried that under the last leadership we had been sneering at business," she said. "There was a perception that was still lingering."
The shadow City minister said the final report from the panel would be released in early 2024 and its findings would be integrated into the party's manifesto. The advisers were working in an independent capacity, she added.
UK investors back a future Labour government - reports
"Overall we want to create stability," she said. "There is no doubt if a Labour chancellor comes in, there will be differences. But we do not want to rip up regulation that we have helped to shape and voted through."
During Labour party's annual conference in Liverpool in October, former governor of the Bank of England Mark Carney appeared in a pre-recorded video endorsing Labour shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves as the next chancellor of the exchequer.
"She began her career at the Bank of England, so she understands the big picture," he said. "But, crucially, she understands the economics of work, of place and family. And, look, it is beyond time we put her energy and ideas into action," he said.