UK Labour leader Keir Starmer will exclude financial services from negotiations with the EU on closer alignment. This decision brings relief to City of London lobbyists tired of Brexit uncertainties. A government spokesperson said officials will keep looking for cooperation "where it is in our economy’s interest." But there will be no push to return City firms to EU rules. City bosses initially supported EU membership before the 2016 referendum and warned about disruption if Brexit happened. Now, few want a repeat of uncertainty or to undo post-Brexit changes. UK regulators have eased many EU-era rules, leading to bigger banker bonuses, lower capital rules, and simpler stock listing laws in London. Steve Fine, CEO of Peel Hunt investment bank, said, "A huge amount of work and effort has gone into improving the landscape for financial services in the UK, which are essential for a viable domestic capital market." He warned against reversing changes as it could "choke" London's chances of thriving. Miles Celic, CEO of TheCityUK lobby group, said closer ties with the EU make sense but warned rejoining the single market could mean less control over UK rules. A government spokesperson confirmed that financial services were not part of recent UK-EU summit agreements but said the EU remains the UK's second-largest financial trading partner. Talks will continue to explore cooperation where economically sensible.