Reeves has opened the door to EU realignment – here’s how it can go further for fintechs

Philip Belamant | 26th March 2026 | Comment, Premium
CEO and Co-Founder of Zilch, Philip Belamant, has warned that the Chancellor did not go far enough in her Mais lecture.
CEO and Co-Founder of Zilch, Philip Belamant, has warned that the Chancellor did not go far enough in her Mais lecture.

The Chancellor has hinted that closer ties with the EU are on the table. But fintech companies want something more concrete, warns Philip Belamant

In last Tuesday’s Mais lecture, the Chancellor laid out economic measures designed to stimulate economic growth for the UK, one of which being a willingness to align further with the EU single market when beneficial to the UK. This follows a May 2025 package of measures to reduce red tape across a range of industries which analysts estimate could add nearly £9 billion to the UK economy by 2040. While these measures effect industry segments across the UK economy, measures for financial services, which account for nearly a tenth of UK economic output, are largely absent. As recently as January this year, Prime Minister Keir Starmer ruled out including financial services in wider alignment talks and instead, cooperation has been channelled through the Joint EU-UK Financial Regulatory Forum, which meets semi-annually to discuss policy priorities, digital finance, market reform and sustainable finance. That dialogue is valuable, but it is not the same as m...

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