Covid-19 has only increased the appetite to talk trade May 11, 2020 The announcement that UK-US free trade agreement discussions have officially begun will have been welcomed by many firms across the Square Mile last Tuesday. Incidentally, it also coincided with my first virtual ‘visit’ to the country to speak to US regulators alongside UK Finance. Accounting for nearly £22 billion, the US is by far the UK’s largest single export [...]
Coronavirus: The City’s third sector has shone amid pandemic April 27, 2020 The coronavirus outbreak is an unfolding global health emergency that requires us all to play our part. We are seeing people from all walks of society across London and the UK coming together to tackle COVID-19 – be it through fundraising activities, volunteering in the community, or by simply checking in on a lonely neighbour [...]
Coronavirus: Don’t let the weather do more harm than good April 14, 2020 With the weather forecast looking good, London’s parks would normally be packed with people enjoying themselves in glorious sunshine. It is of course tempting to go outside, get together with friends or loved ones and enjoy our great open spaces. Unfortunately, however, we are not in normal times. That is why we are asking people [...]
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 [...]
