Voluntary Code of Conduct for Directors: will it make a difference?

The Institute of Directors (IoD) have published a consultation document on a code of conduct for directors.
The new code would be voluntary and is designed to help directors and business leaders build trust from the public in their business activities. It has been prompted by recent corporate scandals, such as the Post Office, that have had a wider impact on the public losing trust in business leaders.
The code of conduct is centred around six key principles: Leading by example, Integrity, Transparency, Accountability, Fairness and Responsible Business.
Because the code is voluntary and contains no means of enforcement, questions have been raised over how useful this code will be and what the take up is likely to be.
The IoD is looking for views from both the business community and the general public.
For more information and to respond and read the full consultation document, see: https://www.iod.com/resources/governance/iod-public-consultation-on-a-code-of-conduct-for-directors/

Unregulated Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) agreements will fall under full FCA regulation from 15 July 2026. For the first time, BNPL lenders will need to meet the same expectations as other consumer-credit providers. With almost 11 million UK adults using BNPL in 2024, according to an FCA survey, this is a significant change.

The government has published the draft secondary legislation for the UK’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), which is due to go live on 1 January 2027. This is an important development for UK businesses importing affected materials.


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