Accounting watchdog launches enquiries into Man City auditor BDO Accountancy The Financial Reporting Council (FRC) is considering launching a formal probe into Manchester City’s accounts and its external auditor BDO, after the club was found to have breached the Premier League’s financial rules. In a letter to the government’s business committee, penned by the newly appointed chair, Dame Jayne-Anne Gadhia, the FRC said it is [...]
Regulator unveils major overhaul to its audit supervision Accountancy The Financial Reporting Council (FRC) is introducing a major overhaul of its audit supervisory model, aiming to replace the current system with one designed to enhance audit quality. The accountancy watchdog is moving its primary focus to a system of quality management (SoQM), placing firm-wide quality controls at the heart of its new supervisory activity. [...]
AI will not replace auditors’ judgment, says regulator chief Accountancy The rise of AI presents a critical moment for the accountancy profession to prove that its “value-add” goes beyond tasks that can be automated, according to the industry’s watchdog boss. Speaking to City AM, Richard Moriarty, chief executive of the Financial Reporting Council (FRC), said that with every technological shift, the accountancy sector loses low-level [...]
IoD boss joins criticism of Peter Kyle’s U-turn on Audit reform January 23, 2026 The bosses of the Institute of Directors (IoD) and the Chartered Institute of Internal Auditors are among some City leaders hitting back against the government’s U-turn on the Audit Bill. In a scathing open letter to the Business Secretary, Peter Kyle, the leaders called the move “a significant step backwards, particularly after the commitment made [...]
Labour scraps Audit Reform Bill to ‘avoid’ costs on firms January 20, 2026 The Audit Reform and Corporate Governance Bill, added into Labour’s first King Speech, is now being scrapped to “avoid significant new costs to firms”. The reform was first raised in 2018 following the collapse of Carillon, but has been on and off the table ever since. The Bill was shelved by the previous government in November 2023 [...]
FRC chief urges audit reform before next corporate scandal January 13, 2026 The boss of the accountancy regulator has issued a direct warning to the government, urging them to pass audit reform legislation during “peacetime” rather than waiting for a major corporate collapse or scandal. Speaking on the latest episode of the Following the Rules podcast, Financial Reporting Council (FRC) CEO Richard Moriarty, said: “Given the thinking that’s gone [...]