HM Treasury announced that the Chancellor of the Exchequer will host a series of Industry Forums to gather views from across financial services as input to the UK’s first Financial Services Growth and Competitiveness Strategy, which is set to be published in the spring as part of the government’s wider Industrial Strategy. The forums will span key sub-sectors including retail banking, wholesale and international banking, insurance and reinsurance, asset management, fintech, and mutuals and co-operatives. The engagement builds on the government’s Call for Evidence, which closed in December 2024, and sits alongside further official and ministerial-level engagement. Financial services is identified as one of eight priority sectors in the government’s Modern Industrial Strategy. Initial meetings are scheduled to run through January and February, with further sessions expected ahead of the Strategy’s publication later in the year. The government also signalled continued engagement with industry after publication to support implementation.