R3 Policy & Public Affairs September update

14 October 2025

Over the past month R3’s Policy and Public Affairs team has been busy ensuring the insolvency and restructuring profession remains visible and influential. Our recent work has centred on strengthening the profession’s profile within key policy discussions – from influencing the direction of upcoming legislation and fraud enforcement, to building stronger relationships with financial services and lending institutions.  Here’s a snapshot of that activity and how it benefits members:

Labour party conference 2025

R3 attended Labour’s 2025 party conference, which took place against the backdrop of political pressure on the Prime Minister and heightened attention on Labour’s economic strategy ahead of the autumn budget.

Across main stage speeches and fringe events, Labour emphasised growth, stability, and fiscal credibility as the foundations of its economic agenda, while also signalling action on fraud, financial inclusion, and employment rights. Business engagement was more visible than party membership this year, with public affairs professionals and industry leaders setting the tone for policy debates.

For R3 members, these discussions are highly relevant: the Government’s focus on tackling fraud, supporting growth, and shaping the regulatory environment all have implications for the restructuring and insolvency profession. With the autumn budget as the next milestone, R3 will continue to engage with policymakers to ensure the profession’s expertise informs Labour’s approach to economic stability and business confidence.

Parliamentary engagement on fraud and enforcement

Through targeted parliamentary engagement, R3 has tabled questions to Treasury, Home Office, and Business & Trade ministers to enhance accountability on tackling fraud, resourcing, and enforcement. The R3 fraud and asset recovery group will review government responses this month.

Meeting with Lord Leong on the Employment Rights Bill

R3 secured a meeting with Lord Leong, the Government lead on the Employment Rights Bill in the House of Lords, to discuss its practical implications for insolvency practitioners. This is also an opportunity to brief officials on how current legislation is being interpreted by the courts and explore practical solutions around tribunal processes without the need for new primary legislation.

Operation Machinize briefing

R3 attended a parliamentary briefing hosted by the APPG for Anti-Corruption and Responsible Tax on Operation Machinize, the national initiative targeting high street businesses exploited as fronts for criminal activity. Several MPs attended or sent representatives, underlining strong local concern. R3’s presence ensured the insolvency profession was represented in these discussions, particularly around the potential role of insolvency processes in disrupting and investigating such activity. This helps raise awareness among policymakers of the value R3 members can bring to tackling economic crime and strengthens our voice in future debates on this issue.

Launch of the higher education institutions (HEI) subgroup

R3 has launched a new HEI subgroup, chaired by Sophia Harrison (Addleshaw Goddard), with a sector update from Matthew Atkinson, Interim CFO at the University of Nottingham. The first meeting explored early warning indicators for HEIs, barriers to using existing restructuring tools, and the potential for a special administration regime. This subgroup provides members with a forum to contribute insights, helping shape R3’s engagement with policymakers and ensuring the profession’s expertise is reflected in future policy developments in the higher education sector.

UK finance awards dinner

The Policy and Public Affairs team represented R3 at the annual invoice finance and asset-based lending awards dinner hosted by UK Finance. This was an excellent opportunity to connect with secured creditors and the wider financial services sector. We hope to use these connections to increase creditor involvement in upcoming R3 projects and groups.    

Every engagement—from Parliament to policy briefings—demonstrates how R3 ensures members’ expertise is recognised, informs government decisions, and strengthens the insolvency and restructuring profession’s influence. By representing the profession on critical issues like fraud, enforcement, and sector-specific challenges, the Policy and Public Affairs team helps protect members’ interests and supports a stable, well-functioning business environment.

Members interested in contributing to R3’s policy work or joining a subgroup can contact [email protected]. Your knowledge and experience help shape the future of the profession.