9 April 2010
Scottish skills vital to any UK recovery post-election, says
City of London Lord Mayor
Firms based in Scotland will play a crucial role in ensuring the
UK remains home to a world-class financial services industry and
preserve 180,000+ jobs north of the border, says the City of London
Lord Mayor Nick Anstee.
The Lord Mayor, who is the ambassador for the UK financial
service industry, today (9 April 2010) meets Edinburgh and Glasgow
leaders and top firms on a visit to strengthen business and
economic ties across the sector.
Lord Mayor Anstee will hold talks with representatives of
Scottish Financial Enterprise, Standard Life, Scottish Development
International, Scottish Enterprise, Edinburgh City Council, and
Glasgow City Council, among others.
"Edinburgh and Glasgow today are not just engines for growth in
Scotland, they are also key players as part of the entire UK
financial and professional services offer. Both cities are very
much part of the Square Mile financial cluster,’’ said the Lord
Mayor, who spends three months a year leading financial delegation
to new and established global markets overseas.
Ahead of his first official visit to Scotland since being
elected in November, Lord Mayor Anstee continued:
"With Scotland as the second largest financial services hub in
the UK alongside London, it is imperative that we work together to
drive the economic recovery forward by building on our respective
strengths both now and after the upcoming election.
"I hope that together we can restore trust in the financial
services sector and raise awareness of Scotland's offering on the
international stage. I believe TheCityUK, a new organisation that
will promote all UK-based financial services, can complement my
work in bridging the divide between the public and parts of the
industry by securing active representation from every corner of the
UK – including Edinburgh and Glasgow. "
Mark Tennant, Chairman of Scottish Financial Enterprise,
added:
"This meeting with the City of London’s Lord Mayor provides a
great opportunity to discuss how we can reinforce financial ties
between Scotland and London. Although Edinburgh and Glasgow are
already important financial centres in their own right, together we
can present a stronger and more comprehensive offer that will
ensure the UK remains a world leader in financial services."
Ends
About the Lord Mayor of the City of
London
The Lord Mayor is elected for one year and the position is unpaid
and apolitical. The Lord Mayor spends some 90 days abroad leading
delegations to key fast-growing markets and addresses some 10,000
people face-to-face each month (making around 800 speeches a
year).
The Lord Mayor listens to City businesses and helps the City
Corporation advise the Government of the day on what is needed to
help the UK-based financial services sector to function well. The
Lord Mayor frequently travels to represent the City; and travels
overseas with the status of a Cabinet Minister. On average, the
Lord Mayor will meet one head of state a month and will meet a
prime minister or finance minister each week to discuss financial
services, often in conjunction with senior City business
representatives. The Lord Mayor, who is unpaid, lives in the
Mansion House for the Mayoral year.
Read his biography
Download a high-res photo
About the City of London Corporation
The
City of London Corporation is a uniquely diverse organisation. It
supports and promotes the City as the world leader in international
finance and business services and provides local services and
policing for those working in, living in and visiting the Square
Mile. It also provides valued services to London and the nation.
These include the Barbican Centre and the Guildhall School of Music
& Drama; the Guildhall Library and Art Gallery and London
Metropolitan Archive; a range of education provision (including
three City Academies); five Thames bridges (including Tower Bridge
and the Millennium Bridge); the Central Criminal Court at Old
Bailey; over 10,000 acres of open spaces (including Hampstead Heath
and Epping Forest), and three wholesale food markets. It is also
London’s Port Health Authority and runs the Animal Reception Centre
at Heathrow. It works in partnership with neighbouring boroughs on
the regeneration of surrounding areas and the City Bridge Trust,
which it oversees, donates more than £15m to charity annually.
About TheCityUK
TheCityUK is a new promotional body for the UK-based financial and
professional services industry that is being set up with the
support of the City of London Corporation. This independent,
practitioner-led and politically-neutral body will coordinate
overseas promotion of the UK as a global financial centre and it
will begin a domestic programme to promote better understanding of
the wider role that the financial services industry plays in the
UK.
Initial funding is being provided by The City of London
Corporation. By 2011, TheCityUK will become a membership
organisation, funded largely by the financial services
industry.
Press contacts
Sanjay Odedra, Press Officer, City of London Corporation
Tel 020 7332 1835 / Mob 07831 542 856
Email
sanjay.odedra@cityoflondon.gov.uk