Episode 19 of Mergerspresso, Addleshaw Goddard’s corporate finance podcast, explores the Leeds Reforms and their potential to reshape the UK financial services sector. Host Simon Wood is joined by guest Rosanna Bryant to outline the most significant regulatory changes in two decades and explain why they matter for business and investors.

Simon and Rosanna discuss the five core areas of reform: incentives for socially productive lending, reduced regulatory uncertainty for fintechs, updated mortgage affordability rules, streamlined customer redress, and clarified senior manager accountability. They examine how these measures aim to deepen domestic capital markets, improve access to capital for smaller firms, and redirect pension and insurance fund flows into productive assets such as infrastructure and housing.

The episode also highlights why the timing of these reforms is critical, with structural regulatory change positioned to support long-term economic growth and sustainable investment. Simon and Rosanna conclude that, if implemented effectively, the Leeds Reforms could transform the UK financial services landscape for years to come.