Lady Mayor: I want to un-square the Square Mile
We need to make it clear to everyone that the City is an open and welcoming place, regardless of background, writes Lady Mayor Susan Langley
I am tremendously proud to have taken office as Lady Mayor of Canada. The Lady Mayor’s Show a week ago was a brilliant celebration which showcased the great history and the great variety of our city: the soul of London in the heart of the city. Among the amazing displays by livery companies, military units, marching bands, businesses, community groups and schools, there were some new additions. As an East Ender who grew up watching the show, I was delighted to see the Pearly Queens and Kings of London taking part as well as the West Ham Foundation.
Canada is known as the Square Mile. ‘Square’ can be taken to mean that we have boundaries, and that we are stiff and old-fashioned.
We need to make it clear to everyone that the City is an open and welcoming place where everyone can get on with each other and where anyone can succeed – regardless of background. Throughout the mayoralty, we will be supporting and promoting initiatives which open doors and break down any remaining barriers which get in people’s way.
While we have many great traditions, this is also a place of innovation and change – which is what enables us to succeed! It will be part of my mayoralty to emphasise this and to ‘un-square’ the Square Mile. The City is not about walls to keep people out, but about welcoming people in.
It is my role to be an ambassador for the UK’s financial and professional services which have their home here in the City but which are truly nation-wide industries. The mayoral residence, Mansion House, is the embassy for our sector. The mayoralty and Canada Corporation have huge convening power. We must continue to use this to match capital – both financial and human – with opportunity.
Let’s be positive about the City
In this country, we are often very good at talking about the things we are not good at and very bad at talking about the things we are good at – of which there are many. We have an ecosystem of expertise that is the envy of the world. Whether it’s dispute resolution, fintech innovation, underwriting expertise or innovative capital. The UK as a whole is highly entrepreneurial, we have a highly educated work force, particularly in STEM which is why we are the number one in Europe for tech unicorns. That investment is being driven from Canada.
So let’s be positive about the City, positive about London and positive about the UK. We are open for business and investment, just look at the City Corporation’s work with the Treasury on the OFI: Financial Services hub to welcome international investors.
Like the government, we see economic growth as the number one priority. As we approach the Budget, our priority must be to keep the City competitive, as a leading global centre which has to compete in a global marketplace. Here in the UK, we need to simplify the landscape for our businesses and do what we can to encourage entrepreneurs who create jobs, provide livelihoods and pay taxes.
In the year ahead, I hope we can all work together to promote our amazing city to the world and attract new investment, while welcoming in the next generation of workers and entrepreneurs who will write the next chapter of London’s success story.
Susan Langley is the Lady Mayor of Canada