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The FCA is leaving London. For the first time in the regulator’s history, its Annual Public Meeting won’t happen in the capital — it’ll happen in Edinburgh, on October 6.
FCA chair Ashley Alder visited the Scottish city on May 26 to open a new office there. The visit wasn’t just ceremonial. It came with a concrete workforce target: the FCA wants its Scottish headcount to grow beyond 350 employees. Edinburgh already punches above its weight in financial services — investment management, insurance, banking — and the FCA seems to be betting that a bigger local presence makes it a better regulator, not just a more visible one.
The meeting venue is the Assembly Rooms.
Hybrid Format, Nationwide Reach
The Annual Public Meeting will run as a hybrid event — in-person seats in Edinburgh, with online access open to anyone across the UK who wants to watch or participate. That’s a pretty deliberate choice. The FCA has been under pressure for years to show it’s not just a London institution talking to London firms. Holding the APM in Edinburgh and streaming it nationally is one way to push back on that reputation.
Per the FCA, picking Edinburgh fits a broader strategy to be more outward-facing and more connected to the markets it actually regulates. That’s the official framing, anyway. Whether it translates into meaningful policy shifts for Scottish firms and consumers is a separate question — and one the APM itself will probably be asked to answer.
The hybrid format also means the FCA can’t really hide behind a small room in Canary Wharf. Stakeholders from Aberdeen to Bristol can log on and put questions to leadership. That’s probably the point.
Scottish Leaders Back the Move
Reaction from Scotland’s financial and consumer sectors was warm. Chris Cummings, chief executive of the Investment Association, praised Edinburgh’s heritage as a financial services center and said the city’s importance to the sector shouldn’t be underestimated. He’s not wrong — Edinburgh has long been one of Europe’s larger fund management hubs, and the Investment Association’s members have significant operations there.
Derek Mitchell, CEO of Citizens Advice Scotland, also backed the decision. So did Sam Ghibaldan, head of Consumer Scotland. Both said the FCA holding its APM in Scotland strengthens the connection between the regulator and Scottish consumers, and that it matters for advocacy on issues specific to the region.
Consumer Scotland, for its part, is keen to keep working with the FCA on things like access to cash and financial inclusion. Those aren’t abstract policy debates north of the border — they’re live problems in rural communities and lower-income areas where bank branch closures have hit hard. The FCA’s willingness to show up in person probably helps that conversation.
No specifics yet on what the APM agenda will cover. Unclear whether the FCA plans additional Scottish office expansions beyond what Alder announced on May 26.
Why Edinburgh, Why Now
Edinburgh’s financial sector is genuinely big. The city manages a significant share of UK assets under management, and its firms employ tens of thousands of people. It’s not a symbolic choice — it’s a city where the FCA’s decisions have real, daily consequences for a large number of regulated entities and their clients.
The FCA’s expansion there also fits a wider pattern across UK regulators and government bodies trying to demonstrate geographic spread. Post-Brexit, there’s been more pressure on institutions to show they serve the whole country, not just the Southeast. Moving headcount and high-profile events to Scotland is one tangible way to do that.
And Edinburgh is probably an easier sell than, say, relocating staff to a smaller city. It has the infrastructure, the talent pool, the existing financial services ecosystem. Growing a team there to 350-plus isn’t a stretch.
But there’s a real question about whether a single annual meeting and a new office actually changes how Scottish consumers and firms experience the FCA day to day. Mitchell and Ghibaldan seem cautiously optimistic. Cummings is enthusiastic. The proof will be in whether the regulator’s decisions — on cash access, on inclusion, on firm supervision — start to better reflect Scottish realities.
The FCA didn’t offer further comment on plans beyond what Alder announced during the Edinburgh visit on May 26.
Frequently Asked Questions
When and where is the FCA holding its Annual Public Meeting in 2026?
The FCA’s Annual Public Meeting takes place on October 6 at the Assembly Rooms in Edinburgh — the first time the event has been held outside London.
Who welcomed the FCA’s Edinburgh expansion?
Chris Cummings of the Investment Association, Derek Mitchell of Citizens Advice Scotland, and Sam Ghibaldan of Consumer Scotland all backed the move, citing stronger regional engagement and benefits for Scottish consumers.
