Responding to the King's Speech, Andrew Harding FCMA, CGMA, Chief Executive of The Chartered Institute of Management Accountants, highlighted both missed opportunities and areas requiring sharper focus.

On corporate reporting, he said: "The Government missed an important opportunity in the King's Speech to set out a long-awaited review of corporate reporting. A clear commitment to prioritising simplification would have sent a strong signal that regulation is being reset in a way that genuinely supports business and economic growth, ensuring the UK remains a competitive and attractive place to do business."

On skills, he welcomed the continued emphasis on young people and apprenticeships, while stressing the need for a more comprehensive approach: "Hearing the Government reaffirm its commitment to young people and apprenticeships marks a step in the right direction. However, the King's Speech fell short of setting out a clear plan to address the key skills challenges that risk limiting UK growth and opportunity in the years ahead."

"Putting a greater focus on higher-level skills will be key to delivering the workforce needed to underpin meaningful productivity gains for long-term growth. This includes investment in graduates and in reskilling across industries, ensuring people can adapt to changing business needs, harness technologies such as AI, and apply human judgement to decision-making."