By Legal Futures Associate VinciWorksThe Government’s newly launched consultation on reforming the UK competition regime could radically change merger control and market investigations. While billed as a pro-growth reset, the proposals risk injecting political calculus into regulatory decision-making, increasing uncertainty and volatility for businesses navigating mergers and acquisitions. These include shifting key Phase 2 merger decisions from independent panels to CMA Board sub-committees and expanding ministerial oversight of CMA guidance. Nick Henderson-Mayo, Head of Compliance at compliance eLearning and software provider, VinciWorks, said the reforms signal a fundamental change in how companies should assess competition risk. High-profile deals and market investigations that attract public attention risk becoming political footballs, particularly if ministers are pressured to utilise their broader interventionist powers.