LONDON (Reuters) – British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has asked the country's regulators, including financial and competition watchdogs, to remove barriers to growth in a bid to revive the sluggish economy, Sky News reported on Saturday.
Sky said Starmer wrote to more than a dozen regulators – including the Financial Conduct Authority, Competition and Markets Authority and energy and water regulators Ofgem and Ofwat – on Tuesday, asking them to bring pro-growth initiatives to Downing Street by mid-January.
One of the recipients of the letter, which was also signed by Finance Minister Rachel Reeves, was quoted as saying that it was unequivocal in its direction of prioritizing economic growth and investment.
Sky said the Financial Reporting Council, media regulator Ofcom, the Environment Agency and healthcare regulators had also received the letter.
Downing Street did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.
Official figures last week showed that the British 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 budget tax hike on October 30 will make it harder for companies to invest and hire workers in the short term.
