Wherever he goes around the world, Nicholas Lyons, the Lord Mayor of the City, faces the same questions, in a generally flabbergasted tone. “But what is happening in the UK, since Brexit? Is the country turning in on itself? »
The Lord Mayor is a strange role. The post has been around for a millennium and Mr. Lyons is 694e to obtain this title, obtained via a very discreet internal election of the representatives of this historic heart of the British capital. Its real role is not to manage the neighborhood, but to be “the ambassador of the London financial center”, in his words. This chief lobbyist for the City, who took up his post in November 2022, is traveling abroad for nearly a hundred days during his term of office.
He has already been to the United States – where he notably met Jamie Dimon, the boss of JPMorgan, Larry Fink, that of BlackRock, and Michael Bloomberg, the former mayor of New York and founder of the data empire eponymous financial institutions in Australia and the Middle East. And everywhere he faces the same barrage of incredulous questions: how did the UK, and the City with it, come to fall prey to international ridicule?
In an interview with a group of European journalists, including The worldMr. Lyons, direct tone and undiplomatic style, does not hide his annoyance. “City have been very patient since that vote six years ago. [le Brexit a été voté le 23 juin 2016]. We tried to give the government a chance to show that there were opportunities to withdraw from the European Union [UE]. » He was hardly convinced. “City have never been a fan of EU withdrawal. We were in the heart of the most important commercial area in the world, and our relationship was suddenly completely turned upside down. Among financiers, I believe there is a great deal of frustration with the inefficiencies that have entered the system. »
damage
Mr. Lyons, however, hopes that “2023 will be a turning point”. He applauds the signature of “Windsor Framework Agreement” by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who resolved Northern Irish issues between London and Brussels. This finally makes it possible to restart bilateral negotiations on many issues. The Lord Mayor calls in particular for the establishment of a discussion forum on financial matters between the United Kingdom and the EU.
He also points out that the political climate has changed: on the one hand, the most ardent Brexiteers, including Boris Johnson, are removed from power; on the other hand, the Labor opposition, led by Keir Starmer and favorite to win the elections in 2024, is very open to dialogue with employers. “For the first time since the great financial crisis of 2007-2008, we have a dialogue in the Conservative Party and in Labor which puts the City at the heart of the economy, where it should be. »
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