The Lord Mayor may be a shipping grandee, but his name doesn’t ring a bell at the Old Bailey March 8, 2016 Poor Lord Mountevans. Jeffrey Evans may be a household name to the City's ship brokers and insurers, but but apparently not at the Old Bailey. According to Court News UK, which diligently records day-to-day proceedings at the courthouse, tour guides have difficulty explaining to visitors what a lord mayor does, and who he is. As any [...]
Why the City of London Corporation was right to come out in favour of EU membership March 7, 2016 The outcome of last week’s meeting of the highest primary decision-making body of the City of London Corporation, the Court of Common Council, that we are to support the United Kingdom remaining a member of the European Union, has attracted much attention. While a small number of City figures called on us to maintain our [...]
London housing commission calls for devolution to solve chronic lack of house building March 7, 2016 Local authorities need to be given more oversight of house building in the capital if London is to accommodate its growing population, the London housing commission said today. In return for greater powers over borrowing, property taxes and planning, the Mayor and boroughs would have to make a joint commitment to deliver significantly higher numbers [...]
EU referendum: City of London Corporation signs off on campaigning for the UK to remain in the EU March 3, 2016 The City of London Corporation has today signed off on supporting Britain remaining in the European Union, rejecting calls from Corporation members and other City leaders to remain neutral in the run-up to the EU referendum on 23 June. According to a statement issued this afternoon, the Corporation's main decision-making body, the Court of Common [...]
EU referendum: Former Greek finance minister Yanis Varoufakis says Mayor of London Boris Johnson is right about lack of democracy in the EU March 3, 2016 Mayor of London Boris Johnson is right in stating the European Union has a democratic deficit, former Greek finance minister Yanis Varoufakis has said. While Varoufakis wants the UK to stay in the EU, he said that when Johnson declared support for Brexit "he said, quite correctly, that Brussels is suffering from a serious lack [...]
Why the City of London Corporation should not abandon neutrality over Brexit and endorse a vote for Remain March 3, 2016 Today, at 1pm precisely, a quaint and rather gorgeous ceremony will take place in Guildhall. Preceded by a swordbearer and a macebearer, the Lord Mayor of London will sweep majestically into the “Court of Common Council” to preside over the meeting of one of the world’s oldest democratic bodies continuously in existence, the City of [...]
Business secretary Sajid Javid fires the starting gun on Green Investment Bank sale for private investors March 2, 2016 Business secretary Sajid Javid has fired the starting gun on transferring the Green Investment Bank (GIB) to private ownership. Speaking at the Lord Mayor’s Trade and Industry dinner at Mansion House tonight, Javid said that the government will tomorrow invite private sector investors to register their interest in the bank, which specialises in investments in [...]
EU referendum: Lord Mayor Jeffrey Mountevans says Britain is better off in the European Union ahead of controversial City of London Corporation vote March 2, 2016 The leader of the City of London Corporation has come out in favour of Britain remaining in the European Union, on the eve of a divisive vote among the Corporation's members. "Britain is better off in," Lord Mayor Jeffrey Mountevans said in a speech to City leaders at Mansion House tonight. Mountevans said the future of London's [...]
EU referendum: London mayor Boris Johnson’s economic adviser Gerard Lyons backs Brexit as CBI president Paul Drechsler praises the EU Single Market March 2, 2016 London can still be “Europe’s world city” even if Britain leaves the European Union, mayor of London Boris Johnson has argued in a major new report from City Hall. “London: The Global Powerhouse”, was first published yesterday and was written by the mayor’s economic adviser, Gerard Lyons, among others. In the report, Lyons wrote that [...]
We mustn’t let the EU referendum narrow our view of the City’s global opportunities February 29, 2016 Only 115 days to go. The EU referendum has been a huge story since well before the date was announced and now we have months of campaigning before polling opens. In fact, so dominant has the referendum been recently that the world outside Europe has been almost overlooked by the media. I’m writing this column [...]