Fintech Reporting from Westminster

Chris writes regularly on technology, financial services, fintech and regulation for a variety of publications, including Computer Weekly, Finextra and, previously, City Am.

Chris covers key policy announcements and legislation (such as his AI (Regulation) Bill, the Financial Services and Markets Bill and the Electronic Trade Documents Bill) as they happen, as well as relevant debates in Parliament.

Chris also reports back from various conferences and events such as UK Fintech Week and Digital Assets Week and addresses key themes such as sustainable finance, open banking and Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) regulation.

Computer Weekly

June 2024, Proposed AI Bill scuppered by general election – so what comes next? | Computer Weekly

November 2023, Making artificial intelligence fit for all our human futures | Computer Weekly

Finextra: The Westminster Series

September 20, 2024, What does the UK’s proposed Digital Assets Bill mean for the future of crypto?

July 3, 2024, UK election 2024: What it means for fintech regulation

June 10, 2024, What does the General Election mean for Data Protection, Digital Markets, and AI Regulation Bills?

May 8, 2024, Open banking next step: A request for public input on how to structure the ‘Future Entity’

March 27, 2024, UK AI regulation: Second reading of the AI Bill

February 2, 2024, How upcoming legislation will harness algorithms, AI, and big tech for public good

December 19, 2023, The transformative potential of the Data Protection and Digital Information Bill

September 26, 2023, Why the Electronic Trade Documents Act is the most important law you have never heard of

July 12, 2023, How will AI be regulated in the UK?

June 28, 2023, The Financial Services and Markets Bill reaches final stages

April 3, 2023, The Financial Services and Markets Bill – Crypto, cash, and a regulatory dash

January 18, 2023, Optimizing the potential of the Financial Services and Markets Bill

December 14, 2022, Key questions for the Chancellor’s ‘Edinburgh Reforms’

November 4, 2022, Lord Christopher Holmes selected for Sustainable Finance.LIVE keynote

November 2, 2022, How will the Electronic Trade Documents Bill transform trade in the UK?

October 17, 2022 The second reading of the Financial Services and Markets Bill

September 26, 2022, Westminster cryptoasset debate

July 26, 2022, The arrival of the Financial Services and Markets Bill

June 22, 2022, What to expect from the UK’s Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) regulation

May 11, 2022, What does the Queen’s Speech have in store for Fintech?

March 31, 2022, UK Fintech Week

February 24, 2022, For financial services, 2022 is a year of real regulatory possibilities

City AM: Crypto AM Parliamentary Special

May 10, 2023, International rumblings around regulators’ handling of digital assets Chris considers debates in the US about how the Securities and Exchange Commission are approaching the regulation of digital assets and draws some conclusions about the Financial Services and Markets Bill here in the UK – “An opportunity to right size regulation, to enable international competitiveness without in any sense compromising on consumer protection.”

March 31, 2023, AI in our financial services: Already Impacting (cityam.com) Chris explains why he has put forward amendments to the Financial Services and Markets Bill that would require companies to ensure the ethical deployment of AI – as well as an AI officer to ensure compliance with that and related requirements.

February 13, 2023, Financial Services and Markets Bill Committee: The half time summary (cityam.com) In the first of a four part series covering a ‘half-time’ summary Chris looks at concerns around Parliamentary scrutiny, he goes on to consider regulation of SME funding, accountability of the regulators and financial inclusion.

March 29, 2023, Why I tabled an amendment to the Financial Services and Markets Bill on Digital ID (cityam.com)

March 28, 2023, If not quite still king, cash still matters to millions (cityam.com)

March 27, 2023, Regulator accountability?  Let me ‘OFRA’ solution (cityam.com)

March 21, 2023, Can effective regulation make cryptoassets and stablecoins useful? (cityam.com)

March 2, 2023, Electronic Trade Documents Bill: A transformation of trade in the Fourth Industrial Revolution (cityam.com)

February 28, 2023, We must invest in robotics technology because, right now, the UK isn’t anywhere near the podium (cityam.com)

February 14, 2023, Part 2: Financial Services and Markets Bill – an opportunity for SMEs? (cityam.com)

February 15, 2023, Financial Services and Markets Bill: who guards the guards? (cityam.com)

February 16, 2023, Part four: Financial Services and Markets Bill – time to get real about financial inclusion (cityam.com)

January 25, 2023, Who watches the watchdog? “Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?” Part III One of three pieces looking at regulation and the role of the regulator in the Financial Services and Markets Bill. In this piece Chris considers the cost of regulation and how that is weighed against its benefits.

January 24, 2023, I ask for a second time: Who watches the watchdog? One of three pieces looking at regulation and the role of the regulator in the Financial Services and Markets Bill. In this piece Chris considers questions of accountability and proportionality.

January 23, 2023, Wait, so who’s watching the watchdog? One of three pieces looking at regulation and the role of the regulator in the Financial Services and Markets Bill. In this piece Chris considers the new international competitiveness objective to be added as a ‘secondary objective’.

January 18, 2023, Presenting the case for regional mutual banks Chris argues that regional mutual banks could be an important source of funding for SMEs and explains why he is tabling an amendment to the Financial Services and Markets Bill to reignite the positive reality of ‘friendly societies’ and mutual banks.

January 12, 2023, Financial Services and Markets Bill is now with the House of Lords, and its potential is extraordinary This Bill is “the platform upon which much of the Government’s vision for financial services will be delivered”. Chris talks us through the second reading debate in the House of Lords.

December 1, 2022, A question of financial inclusion Chris tabled a short debate in the House of Lords to question the government on what steps they are taking to increase financial inclusion, in particular highlighting the increasing problem of fewer businesses accepting cash and the need to do more to ensure that all citizens have reasonable access to digital payments.

November 16, 2022, Digital Assets Week: A DAW to the future Chris was invited to speak at Digital Assets Week where he shares his perspective on the current state of play with crypto regulation and the need for greater engagement and greater resource to ensure the UK makes the most of the opportunity and take a lead in the global digital asset market.

November 18, 2022, Digital Assets Week: Conversations from the corriDAW In the second part of Chris’s coverage of Digital Asset Week he reflects on four key themes that emerged in ‘conversations from the corridor’, those being: industry engagement, competitiveness and alignment, the power of English law and proofing the technology.

November 8, 2022, The Electronic Trade Documents Bill: The problem, solution and potential benefits Five years after Chris published his report calling on the government to do more to realise the potential benefits of blockchain he explains why this Bill could be Bill could be transformative – both for international trade and blockchain development and application.

October 12, 2022, The Electronic Trade Documents Bill – one of the most important Bills you’ve never heard of Chris explains why the Electronic Trade Documents Bill, just introduced in the House of Lords, is such an incredibly important piece of legislation.

September 29, 2022, The Financial Services and Markets Bill – second reading Chris explains the government’s 335-page Financial Services Bill and what it means for crypto assets.

September 8, 2022, Crypto comes to the Commons Chris writes about a special Parliamentary debate on crypto and shares his own perpective that “there is no inevitability that blockchain adoption would see us all roll away to hell in a cryto-ccrashed handcart.”

July 22, 2022, Is this a positive, proportionate approach to crypto from the government? Chris covers the introduction of the Financial Services and Markets Bill which includes government plans for regulating crypto. Chris concludes the government is showing a “positive, proportionate approach to crypto”. Chris also reveals that he plans to table amendments to the Bill and invites feedback from readers.