By Andy Silvester
In the run-up to Liz Truss’ election by the Conservative party as Prime Minister, the Mayor of London Sadiq Khan wrote in these pages that it was time to turn a new leaf in the capital’s relationship with Downing Street. It is no secret that he and Johnson didn’t see eye to eye – clashing over everything from Brexit to pandemic restrictions to whether or not the fast food advertising ban was the right thing to do for Transport for London’s finances.
Alas, Truss has not necessarily reciprocated. That is a crying shame for our city.
The relationship between City Hall and Whitehall seems more distant than ever – both metaphorically and, now the former is in an industrial estate in Newham, literally.
In today’s paper we talk to a hotelier who is desperate for London to build upwards from the pandemic – not just competing but beating global cities for investment and tourism. He is not alone in thinking that this is the best city in the world. As a first step in rebuilding that connection between the Mayor and the Prime Minister, we could think of worse things to do than re-upping efforts to promote London on the global stage.
For whatever reason, Britain sometimes seems embarrassed of London. Much of the promotional material put out by central government focusses on thatched cottages and, inexplicably, the industrial revolution. Why not put London, our global city, centre stage?
The benefits are obvious. For the capital, more interest. For the country, more visitors, boosting the Treasury coffers and doing their bit for Britain’s go-for-growth plan (if that still exists by next week). When London does well, so does the rest of the country, as many have put it – including the sadly outgoing Transport for London commissioner, Andy Byford.
This is a great city, and the jewel in the UK’s crown – let’s do a better job telling the world about it.
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