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Starmer Excludes London from EU Financial Talks

1/9/2026

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Summary

Story summary

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has excluded the City of London from talks on aligning UK financial services with the European Union (EU).
The decision followed lobbying by financial firms concerned about re-adopting EU regulations.
Labour backbenchers and Liberal Democrats push for closer EU ties, but the government is not pursuing regulatory alignment.
The EU remains the UK's second-largest trading partner for financial services, and cooperation will continue where beneficial.

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Story summary

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has excluded the City of London from talks on aligning UK financial services with the European Union (EU).
The decision followed lobbying by financial firms concerned about re-adopting EU regulations.
Labour backbenchers and Liberal Democrats push for closer EU ties, but the government is not pursuing regulatory alignment.
The EU remains the UK's second-largest trading partner for financial services, and cooperation will continue where beneficial.