Looking back on my year as lord mayor, I am fully optimistic about London’s future
As I approach the end of my year as lord mayor, the pace of activity across the City is accelerating rather than slowing down
This week, the governor of Tokyo will visit the Square Mile, further strengthening ties with our Japanese friends after my trip earlier this year.
This visit follows the Dutch King and Queen’s attendance at Mansion House last week for a global innovation showcase, while the Czech Prime Minister separately joined a business event at Guildhall.
We have also hosted the international trade secretary and the World Trade Organisation director-general at our inaugural International Trade dinner. Separately, at our annual City dinner, we hosted senior regulators from the Bank of England and the Financial Conduct Authority.
This breadth of activity underlines the fact that the UK’s financial and professional services continue to play a vital role on the national, European, and global stages.
Brexit inevitably dominates the news cycle, but it is another related “B” word – business – that the City continues to do best.
Our creative energy, coupled with robust regulation, rule of law, and other fundamentals, such as our highly skilled talent, will ensure that the UK is an attractive place to do business long into the future.
This was vividly illustrated when heads of government and hundreds of international representatives convened here in April for the Commonwealth Business Forum.
And having visited 26 countries over the past year, it is clear to me that the City’s expertise is in high demand across the world – from Lagos to Lisbon, Seoul to Santiago.
We should seize opportunities across global markets, whether it is by partnering on fintech in India, green finance projects in China, or asset management in Chile.
Of course, the City’s role in facilitating trade needs to translate into tangible benefits for households and businesses across the country.
With two thirds of the UK’s financial sector employed outside London, we are committed to strengthening our links with other cities.
That is why the City Corporation doubled its regional strategy earlier this year, building on existing partnerships with Belfast, Edinburgh and Manchester to work with Birmingham, Leeds and Cardiff too.
And I have been delighted to welcome firms from across the UK on my foreign visits, opening doors for them to engage with policymakers and counterparts in key markets.
Another important part of my mayoral programme – the Business of Trust – has permeated my domestic and international engagement. A decade on from the financial crisis, we must continue to invest in earning the trust of wider society.
I am particularly pleased to have helped convene a “Leaders of Tomorrow” network – some 80 next-generation leaders with whom we have worked to ensure that the trust agenda is in safe hands in the future.
Plus we have collected interviews on trust with business, political, religious, and cultural leaders, all available on our YouTube channel.
So as I prepare to pass on the baton to my successor, I look forward to the UK remaining the trusted cluster of choice on the global stage.
This is a race that Britain can win – a race that, I believe, we will win.