UK Finance Minister Healey to Meet Business Leaders on Growth Plans

British finance minister John Healey is set to meet the chief executives of several major companies on Monday to discuss the government's plans to generate economic growth, Downing Street said.

The reception will bring together bosses from banks HSBC and Standard Chartered, oil majors BP and Shell, and telecom firms BT and Vodafone, among others.

Prime Minister Andy Burnham had been due to host the event, but cancelled engagements on Monday and Tuesday following the death of his father.

Burnham's Downing Street office had earlier said he planned to tell the businesses that the government's devolution plans could help deliver much-needed infrastructure, and that he wanted to support a culture shift to back innovation.

The meeting with the heads of Britain's biggest energy companies comes after a report that Burnham is set to delay a decision on whether to bring the Shell-backed Jackdaw gas field online until after a parliamentary by-election next month.

Ahead of the reception, Healey will also hold a roundtable with British entrepreneurs from the fields of fintech, AI, clean energy and advanced manufacturing.

Last week, Healey used his first major speech since taking office to set out a brighter vision for the economy ahead of an annual budget where he faces tough tax and spending choices.