Fintech in Focus

The All-Party Parliamentary Group for International Trade & Investment was delighted with the turnout at yesterday’s ‘Fintech in Focus’ session, which brought together some of the UK’s leading fintech voices to examine our global competitiveness, just days ahead of the Government’s Budget. 💼

A huge thank you to Santander UK to hosting the event and to our brilliant panellists, Richard Baker (Tokenovate), Jane Galvin (Santander UK), Rory Tanner (Revolut) and Clare Black (Centre for Finance, Innovation and Technology (CFIT)), along with everyone who attended and contributed to such a rich discussion.

A few key themes emerged:

💷 Capital & Competitiveness

🔹Access to capital remains a defining challenge, intensified by uncertainty and a deeply ingrained culture of risk aversion. The UK has world-class ingredients – financial expertise, strong regulatory foundations and a vibrant start-up base – but bolder incentives and a more “test and learn” mindset are needed to help founders scale. Not every fintech must be a unicorn, but we do need both scale players and strong mid-market firms for a healthy ecosystem.

🧠 Skills, Talent & the Rise of AI

🔹AI is reshaping roles across the sector. Unlike what many fear, roles are largely being augmented rather than replaced. The UK’s talent is strong yet demand for specialist data and AI skills outstrips domestic supply. With an ageing workforce and intense global competition for expertise, reskilling and openness to international talent will be critical. The bigger question is whether the UK is ready to move confidently into ‘Knowledge Economy 3.0’.

🔧 Innovation, Standards & Digital Infrastructure

🔹The UK remains a leader in open banking and is well-placed to shape global standards in digital assets and tokenisation. Achieving this requires closer alignment between regulators, government and industry, focusing on interoperability, consumer trust and long-term policy clarity.

What stood out most was a shared sense of ambition. The UK has the foundations, the creativity and the expertise to remain a global fintech leader, if we match them with clearer strategic direction and a mindset that embraces smart risk. This presents a real opportunity, and with the right conditions, the UK can continue to lead the next wave of financial innovation from the front.