Speaking at Risk Live Europe, David Bailey, executive director of prudential policy at the Bank of England, highlighted the pivotal role regulation plays in driving innovation while safeguarding resilience and competitiveness in the UK banking and insurance sectors. Bailey placed special focus on the Secondary Competitiveness and Growth Objective (SCGO), which has shaped policy since 2023, mandating the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) to align its rules both with international standards and the UK’s long-term economic goals.
He outlined how the SCGO has materially changed policy formation, resulting in major reforms such as reducing legacy EU reporting for insurers, removing the banker bonus cap, and tailoring capital requirements to suit UK specifics, particularly to boost lending for SMEs and infrastructure. Upcoming initiatives include refining frameworks for insurance vehicles and proposals to accelerate insurer investment in productive UK assets. Bailey emphasized a complementary relationship between resilience and growth, rejecting the idea that robust regulation automatically stifles competitiveness or innovation.
Bailey argued that effective regulation can create an environment where innovation thrives safely. He showcased how innovation supports new financial products, improves efficiency, and broadens access—citing natural language processing, the use of Artificial Intelligence in insurance pricing, and advancements in digital payments. Yet he cautioned that innovation is not without cost or risk, pointing to the scale and uncertainty of technology investments and the operational, financial, and conduct challenges they can pose. The PRA’s approach seeks balance: sometimes detailed rules are necessary to manage risk (as with cryptoassets), but typically flexible, technology-neutral frameworks—supported by industry dialogue and tools like the Digital Securities Sandbox—enable innovation to take root.
Regular engagement with stakeholders, roundtables, and industry consortia—such as the AI Consortium—are central to the PRA’s responsiveness, ensuring regulatory frameworks evolve with industry needs while maintaining financial stability. Bailey concluded by reaffirming the PRA’s commitment to proportionate, outcome-focused regulation designed to reduce administrative burdens and enable firms to meet new challenges, innovate confidently, and contribute effectively to the UK’s economic growth and stability.
