By Steve Conley | Academy of Life Planning
“If you’re not at the table, you’re probably on the menu.”
For decades, the financial system has carefully cultivated the illusion of fairness, accountability, and oversight. But behind the curtain lies a truth that few dare to say aloud: a small, self-reinforcing elite has captured both the architecture and the outcomes of Britain’s financial and political systems.
This is systemic elitism. Not a conspiracy, but a structure—meticulously maintained and historically rooted—that concentrates power, shapes policy, and protects its own.
💼 Meet the Real Policy Makers: The Unelected Elite
The UK government’s economic agenda, including high-profile initiatives like the Mansion House reforms, is driven by an inner circle of financial power brokers with far-reaching influence.
Who are they?
- Nigel Higgins, Chair of Barclays
- Sir Mark Tucker, Chair of HSBC
- Sir Robin Budenberg, Chair of Lloyds Banking Group
- Robert Leitão, Managing Partner of Rothschild & Co
- Mark FitzPatrick, CEO of St. James’s Place
- Christopher Hayward, Chair of the City of London Corporation’s Policy & Resources Committee
These figures don’t just manage vast pools of wealth. They sit on TheCityUK Leadership Council, directly advising on UK financial policy and regulatory strategy. They influence regulation, advise Treasury ministers, and shape the very narratives delivered in Chancellor speeches.
🤝 The Revolving Door Between Government and the City
The crossover between public service and private gain is blatant:
- Katharine Braddick, former Director General at HM Treasury, now Head of Strategic Policy at Barclays.
- Sir Charles Roxburgh, former Treasury official and now Chair of Lloyd’s of London.
- Lord Jacob Rothschild, financier and government adviser, whose Rothschild & Co. continues to manage royal and state wealth.
This isn’t reform. It’s rotation.
📈 TheCityUK: Where Policy Meets Profit
If you think the Chancellor’s Mansion House speech is written by civil servants alone, think again. TheCityUK, an industry lobby led by the very same names above, co-produces many of the policy frameworks later echoed in official government strategy.
This isn’t lobbying on the sidelines. It’s policymaking from within. The agenda? Unlock capital, deregulate pensions, and privatise risk while protecting institutional gain. This is how the Mansion House Compact was born—a pact not with the people, but with pension fund managers, City institutions, and private equity.
🤓 A History of Hidden Control
The Rothschild family, Barclays’ Quaker founders, the Coutts private bank, and Lloyds’ origins in aristocratic partnerships are not relics of the past—they’re reminders of the enduring merger between wealth and governance. Lord Jacob Rothschild remains a central figure in both finance and elite philanthropic circles, while Rothschild & Co continues to advise governments.
Even St. James’s Place, one of the UK’s largest wealth managers, was co-founded by Sir Mark Weinberg and Lord Jacob Rothschild himself. Their influence still permeates.
⚡ When Elites Regulate Themselves
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), the Treasury, and the Bank of England are populated by alumni of the very institutions they are tasked to oversee. Public meetings with civil society are rare. Meanwhile, 40% of Treasury ministers’ external meetings are with financial sector representatives.
We are sold a story of inclusive growth and prosperity for all, but decisions are shaped in City boardrooms and delivered from Westminster pulpits.
⚖️ This Is Why We Fight
Systemic elitism is not just unfair. It’s the engine behind wealth extraction, policy capture, and institutionalised inequality. It explains why regulation is reactive, not proactive. Why corporate fraud is punished after the fact. Why everyday citizens are told to “build wealth” in a system designed to funnel it upwards.
The GAME Plan exists to dismantle this machinery. To expose it. And to give people the tools, knowledge, and frameworks to reclaim autonomy, build real security, and challenge the false gods of finance.
If you’ve ever felt like the game is rigged, that’s because it is.
But you don’t have to play by their rules.
Join the movement. Name the players. Reclaim your future.
💥 Take Back Control with M-POWER
The Money Empowerment Movement
“Making the old system obsolete”
👑 They’ve had the power long enough.
For decades, the financial elite have dictated the rules—locking ordinary people out through jargon, hidden fees, and dependency.
It’s time to change that.
🚨 Welcome to M-POWER—a global movement to reclaim your financial freedom.
No more gatekeepers. No more middlemen. No more being kept in the dark.
❌ Feel the Pain?
- Tired of mistrusting financial advisers?
- Paying hidden fees that drain your wealth?
- Feeling disconnected from your own money?
- Drowning in complexity and jargon?
You’re not alone.
✅ Time for the Gain
- 💡 Empowerment: Gain clarity, confidence, and control.
- 🔑 Ownership: Align your finances with your life goals.
- 💸 Savings: Keep more of your money working for you.
- 🌍 Purpose: Use your money to create a life—and world—you believe in.
🚀 Why Now?
The system is shifting:
- Open banking gives you the tools.
- The industry is being exposed for what it is.
- The cost of living crisis makes financial autonomy essential.
Waiting is no longer an option.
🌱 Why Us?
At the Academy of Life Planning, we don’t sell products—we deliver freedom.
Led by Steve Conley, a former insider turned movement-builder, we offer:
✅ Independent advice
✅ Ethical, commission-free planning
✅ Powerful tools like the GAME Plan™
✅ A global, values-led community
✊ Join the Revolution
💥 Become your own financial adviser
💬 Book a free discovery call
📚 Access expert tools and resources
🌐 Connect with a tribe of empowered individuals
👉 Join the M-POWER Movement today
Reclaim your time. Reclaim your wealth. Reclaim your life.
Visit the website. Read the blog.
Your Money or Your Life
Unmask the highway robbers – Enjoy wealth in every area of your life!
By Steve Conley. Available on Amazon. Visit www.steve.conley.co.uk to find out more.
Academy of Life Planning 