CC's Popham to champion UK financial services as chair of new City body

TheCityUK will launch on Thursday with the aims of promoting the financial services industry abroad, to encourage better understanding of the sector in the UK, and to lobby the Government over future EU regulation.

Popham (pictured), who is already chair of the CBI London Council, said the new body would “steer a clear, well-defined course through the inevitable changes, reforms and reappraisals” that would affect the industry in the aftermath of the banking crisis.

He added: “We must put right the mistakes of the past, forge a new deal with the British public and establish a co-ordinated agenda to promote UK financial services on the European and world stages.”

The lobby group is backed by City stalwarts Sir Win Bischoff of Lloyds Banking Group and Bob Wigley, the former European head of Merrill Lynch. John Ingamells, former political secretary to the British embassy in Seoul and director of public affairs at asset management firm Fidelity International, will be the body’s inaugural director.