Ideas at the edge of regulation, policy and practice — short, sharp and occasionally provocative.
Written to clarify, not to market.
Law, regulation and public policy — from defence to design
Firms invest heavily in interpreting regulatory rules and implementing formal compliance frameworks. Yet outcomes are often shaped elsewhere: in how those interpretations are translated into governance, systems, incentives and decision-making in practice. This article explores why regulatory risk increasingly turns on design rather than defence — and why conduct, accountability and AI governance are better understood as connected challenges rather than separate compliance problems.
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Regulation for growth — what's missing from Mansion House & Leeds reforms
After leaving big law earlier this year, I gave myself something I hadn’t had for a very long time — time. A summer spent travelling, reading and reflecting on law, regulation and economics. This piece looks at what’s missing from the Mansion House and Leeds reforms, and how regulation can support growth...
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FOS reform — be careful what you wish for
The government’s proposals to reform the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) could reshape how consumer complaints are resolved. Promising steps include moving away from the outdated 8% interest rate and introducing a clear long-stop on claims. But will these changes really deliver certainty — or just shift uncertainty elsewhere?
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Motor finance redress — predictability and the limits of principles
The FCA’s review of historic motor-finance commission models raises questions far beyond one product. Can firms rely on stable, knowable standards — or do shifting interpretations and open-textured principles leave everyone exposed to hindsight and uncertainty?
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