These are difficult times — but London is strong, and the City will get through this March 30, 2020 If this crisis has shown us anything, it is that the Square Mile really can keep calm and carry on in the face of adversity. In just over a week, the majority of the City’s half a million employees have adapted to working at home remarkably quickly, thanks to technology such as video conferencing, and [...]
A levelling up agenda cannot afford to overlook the UK’s beating financial heart March 16, 2020 With the strong and unpredictable economic headwinds of 2020, last week’s Budget came at a critical juncture. All eyes were on the new chancellor, in particular on what the Budget might propose to alleviate some of the short-term Covid-19 shocks to the economy. Efforts to support households and businesses, particularly SMEs, through the Covid-19 outbreak [...]
If Britain is to hit net-zero, we need the City to step up its green finance ambitions March 2, 2020 The unveiling of the COP26 Private Finance Agenda at Guildhall last week was a landmark moment for our climate change efforts as a nation. The annual UN conference, this year taking place in Glasgow, will convene global leaders to discuss the world’s most pressing issue. And as policymakers gear up for the pivotal event, it [...]
Both north and south of the border, Ireland’s financial centres are the City’s historic partners February 17, 2020 As the debate around our future relationship with the European Union continues, we at the City Corporation have been focusing on building even stronger ties with our closest neighbours. Over the past two weeks, I have visited Dublin, Belfast and Derry-Londonderry to do just that. Both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland have long-standing [...]
Forging closer ties with India is crucial, but let’s not lose sight of our neighbours February 3, 2020 Now that the UK has formally left the EU, our trading ties with partners across the world will be more in focus than ever before. This includes our relationship with India, a country I visited last week to promote ties in financial and professional services. The UK-India partnership is now worth some £20bn, with nearly [...]
In the rush to get an EU trade deal, the needs of the City must not be forgotten January 20, 2020 With 31 January less than two weeks away, after various twists and turns, the first chapter of Brexit is finally coming to a close. Although it has performed with resilience and strength in the face of a challenging economic climate, the City has been crying out for certainty and clarity for too long. And even [...]
Well done, Boris — now it’s time to fix the UK’s infrastructure and access to talent December 16, 2019 Now that the dust has settled on last week’s election, the new Conservative government led by Boris Johnson faces the urgent task of getting on with delivering a programme that benefits households and businesses across the UK. Christmas may be around the corner, but the hard work starts now. The City of London Corporation will [...]
People from all backgrounds deserve the opportunity to succeed in our capital December 2, 2019 As we draw closer to the end of another momentous year in politics, it’s a time to reflect and look forward to the future. With all the Brexit noise, social mobility is one of the many issues that just hasn’t had enough airtime recently. Too often, people from less financially advantaged families lack opportunities, and [...]
To tackle the challenges of our age, UK and EU finance firms must work together November 18, 2019 The economy is a hot topic this election campaign, but one issue which is attracting little attention so far is the value and significance of financial and professional services. According to new data from the Office for National Statistics, the UK exported £82bn of financial services last year, up £4bn on 2017. This gives us [...]
City firms must prove their responsible business credentials to attract top talent November 4, 2019 Brexit has been top of the agenda for many City firms, but there is so much more that they should be thinking about. When I speak to young City workers at the start of their careers, they want to know that their employers are standing up and making a positive difference. They want to work [...]