# Rachel Reeves says UK listing rules ‘reinvigorating’ City amid hopes of revival

By Maike Currie — 2026-01-19

Maike Currie, vice president of personal finance at PensionBee, said: “It’s fair to say that most people don’t start investing because of policy changes.

“They start investing because they own a slice of something they recognise – a company they work for or are a customer of, a brand they trust, a business they believe in.

“That said, for decades, everyday investors have been locked out of many of the most exciting moments in UK markets, told to come back later or to participate indirectly.

“Since 2005, fewer than one in 20 UK IPOs has included an offer for retail investors, while opportunities to invest in corporate bonds or secondary equity deals have been scarce.

“Today marks a genuine shift. The rules are finally catching up with the reality that the public wants and deserves the opportunity to take a stake in the UK’s growth.

“Ownership changes behaviour. It turns spectators into stakeholders. When people feel connected to the companies around them, markets become healthier, more resilient and more trusted.

“This is about restoring the idea that the public should share in Britain’s economic success, rather than watching it from the sidelines.

“Transparency must sit at the heart of these changes, with published statistics on retail inclusion across IPOs and secondary raises, so progress can be measured and exclusions challenged.

“One way to ignite interest is to give customers and employees a genuine stake in the businesses they support – something PensionBee did when it listed.”

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