LONDON (Reuters) – British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has asked government regulators, including financial and competition authorities, to remove obstacles to growth in a bid to revive the sluggish economy, Sky News reported on Saturday.
Starmer wrote to more than a dozen regulators – including the Financial Conduct Authority, the Competition and Markets Authority and energy and water regulators Ofgem and Ofwat – on Tuesday, asking them to present growth initiatives to Downing Street by mid-January, he said Sky.
He quoted one recipient of the letter, also signed by Finance Minister Rachel Reeves, as saying it was unequivocal about prioritizing economic growth and investment.
Sky said the Financial Reporting Council, media regulator Ofcom, the Environment Agency and health regulators had also received the letter.
Downing Street did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.
Official data last week showed Britain’s economy failed to grow during the first three months of Starmer’s new government, adding to signs of a slowdown.
Business groups also said the government’s Oct. 30 tax hike budget would make it harder for businesses to invest and hire workers in the short term.
