The risks associated with companies either conniving in or unwittingly profiting from modern slavery have garnered increased attention over recent years, but the United States’ latest attempt to hit dozens of countries with tariffs for failing to tackle the problem more seriously has pushed the issue of forced labor to the top of corporate agendas.
UK
Posted inAccounting & Auditing
Control failures cost U.K. financial firms over $1.35B in five years – and the compliance risks are rising
The U.K.’s financial regulator has issued over £1 billion ($1.35 billion) of fines for regulated firms’ basic internal control failures in the past five years. This accounted for more than half of the total fines issued to financial services firms in the period.
Posted inFinancial Services
U.K. slashes FS rules, seeks closer EU regulation ties to boost growth
The U.K. government has announced a raft of legislation that will drastically cut compliance requirements in the financial services sector, as well as aim to bring the United Kingdom more in line with the EU to simplify customs regulations and boost trade.
Posted inEnergy and Utilities
BP chairman ousting: A failure of ‘tone at the top’ or a triumph of good governance?
The speed at which a major oil company has fired its chairman over allegations of bullying and aggressive behavior may be viewed as a triumph of ethical policies—and a failure of the “tone at the top”, say experts.
Posted inRegulatory Policy
Key steps to prepare for the Crime and Policing Act
Companies that do business in the United Kingdom will soon find themselves subject to a new regime where more people in the organization can be subject to criminal prosecution—and not just for a handful of serious economic crimes.
Posted inFinancial Services
U.K. financial regulators pare down rules for senior managers
The U.K.’s key financial regulators have pared down the compliance requirements that hold senior managers accountable as part of the government’s drive to reduce undue regulation by half and boost investment.
Posted inFinance
Lloyds IT glitch: Key lessons for compliance
IT outages seem to be increasingly prevalent in the financial services sector, despite a firmer focus on technical resilience by regulators both in the United Kingdom (U.K.) and the European Union (EU). A recent tech glitch that hit a major U.K. bank should compel compliance teams in the sector to review their IT security and incident reporting at the very least, say experts.
Posted inRegulatory Policy
Preparing for the EU’s anti-corruption directive
The EU Anti-Corruption Directive is set to come into force in a few months’ time and will take effect in mid-2028. It will harmonize bribery and corruption rules across the Single Market, as well as raise the prospect of better enforcement in those EU countries that have—so far—taken a decidedly lax approach to investigating and prosecuting serious corporate crime.
Posted inAccounting & Auditing
U.K. audit regulator launches new supervisory model, but wider audit reform questions remain
The U.K. audit regulator has announced a major “evolution” of its audit supervisory model, promising to introduce a more proportionate, effective, and integrated framework.
Posted inUnited Kingdom
U.K. financial regulator and Ombudsman set out modernization plan for consumer redress
Changes to the U.K.’s Financial Ombudsman Service, which enables consumers to pursue financial services firms for compensation for unfair treatment, will place greater weight on firms’ compliance. The changes have been prompted in part by the scandal surrounding poor-value car loans provided via dealers.
