Regulation of banks, building societies and insurers now looks to be a significant political battleground
This opens up a huge gulf between Labour and Conservatives on financial regulation as the centrepiece of Mr Darling's proposal is a further development (I hesitate to call it strengthening, although he did) of the tripartite system. This would see the Financial Services Authority retaining the principal role as the prudential regulator as well as taking on new powers to regulate hedge funds and other derivative products - at that level it would be a stronger system. Financial stability would rest with a new Council for Financial Stability, the tripartite arrangement re-invented. It is hard to see how that would work any better than the previous incarnation which failed to prevent last autumn's crisis.
The only common ground between the two major parties is over their hostility to the European Union propsoals embodied in the Larosiere Report. Both see this as potentially damaging to the UK and the City of London in particular and favour a much less prescriptive model of global co-operation. There is an element of heads in the sand over this as the EU is making a massive land grab on the regulatory front and may have its new institutions up an running before the dust has settled on the next General Election in the UK.
The big danger in this is that the political uncertainty will actually cripple the current system, with the FSA unable to restructure and recruit, the Bank not able to develop its role and the Treasury sitting on the sidelines with civil servants not keen to do too much work that will be wasted should there be a change of government.
Only users who have a paid subscription or are part of a corporate subscription are able to print or copy content.
To access these options, along with all other subscription benefits, please contact info@postonline.co.uk or view our subscription options here: http://subscriptions.postonline.co.uk/subscribe
You are currently unable to print this content. Please contact info@postonline.co.uk to find out more.
You are currently unable to copy this content. Please contact info@postonline.co.uk to find out more.
Copyright Infopro Digital Limited. All rights reserved.
You may share this content using our article tools. Printing this content is for the sole use of the Authorised User (named subscriber), as outlined in our terms and conditions - https://www.infopro-insight.com/terms-conditions/insight-subscriptions/
If you would like to purchase additional rights please email info@postonline.co.uk
Copyright Infopro Digital Limited. All rights reserved.
You may share this content using our article tools. Copying this content is for the sole use of the Authorised User (named subscriber), as outlined in our terms and conditions - https://www.infopro-insight.com/terms-conditions/insight-subscriptions/
If you would like to purchase additional rights please email info@postonline.co.uk
Most read
- Covéa shrinks staff numbers by almost a third amid further losses
- DLG or Esure – which Peter Wood baby is most likely to bounce back?
- Aviva CEO warns home insurance premiums need to go up