The boss of the London Stock Exchange has hailed the biggest reforms to UK capital markets “in a generation”, as the Chancellor backs changes she believes are “reinvigorating” the City after early signs of a revival.
Dame Julia Hoggett, chief executive of the LSE, said new rules for firms raising capital in the UK were resulting in the “greatest set of primary market reforms in a generation”. The measures, introduced by the Financial Conduct Authority, lower costs and speed things up for businesses looking to secure investment and raise capital in the UK.
Crucially, the reforms aim to give retail investors greater access to the stock market. “Over the last 20 years or so… we have seen retail investors have less and less access to our market, and become more and more disenfranchised,” Dame Julia said. “That is why today is such cause for celebration and deserves to be marked.”
Chancellor Rachel Reeves was expected to say that cutting red tape for firms listing their shares on the London stock market is “reinvigorating” the City after early signs of a revival. She was also set to express hope that the FTSE 100’s standout year would encourage more Britons to invest.
“Two years ago, some said the City’s best days were behind it. They were wrong,” Ms Reeves was due to say at the event in the City of London. “As the FTSE 100 reaches record highs and global firms once again choose London, we are seeing the first signs of a new golden age for the City.”
Under the new rules, companies that are already listed on London’s stock market will not need to publish lengthy prospectuses in order to issue more shares and raise funds, in most cases. The changes will also halve the time it takes between initial documents being published and an IPO (initial public offering) to list on the London Stock Exchange (LSE).
Furthermore, the LSE hailed the launch of its new “access bonds” initiative on the back of changes that make it easier for bonds to be issued in smaller values, therefore making them more accessible to a wider range of individual investors. The bonds can be issued in denominations “even as low as one pound”, Dame Julia said.
The changes come after the LSE was bolstered by a late spurt in listing activity toward the end of 2025, including the flotations of Princess Group and Shawbrook Bank. This sparked hopes of a rebound after a prolonged drought in activity and a flurry of UK-listed businesses abandoning London for international rivals.
