The Mayor, Sadiq Khan, has had a packed and busy 20 hours in Davos at the World Economic Forum, banging the drum for London and reminding global leaders and senior politicians that despite the vote to leave the European Union, #LondonIsOpen and the best city in the world to do business. In the last 20 hours he has…
- Delivered a keynote speech on the dangers a ‘hard Brexit’ poses to London, the UK and European countries. Read more here.
- Had meetings with European political leaders including H.M. King Phillipe of Belgium, the Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg, the Portugese Prime Minister António Costa, Canadian Science and Economic Development Minister Navdeep Bains and former EU President Martin Schulz to discuss how London will remain open to people, ideas and trade in the years ahead.
- Met with global business leaders including the CEOs and senior leadership of Siemens, Hitachi, Salesforce, Mastercard & WIPRO, and Chinese tech and business leaders including Jack Ma of Alibaba and Kai-Fu Lee of Sinovation Ventures, to talk about opportunities for investment in London
- Spoke to British business leaders in Davos this week to promote British business in Europe and around the world.
- Took media interviews with the BBC, ITV, Sky, LBC, BBC Radio London, FT, Guardian, CNN, Wall Street Journal, CBS, CNBC, Bloomberg, AFP, Reuters and international media outlets to get the message out that #LondonIsOpen for business
See more from the Mayor's visit to Davos
On my way to @wef to bang the drum for London & remind business leaders & politicians that #LondonIsOpen https://t.co/o47Bq383N4
— Mayor of London (@MayorofLondon) January 18, 2017
‘Hard Brexit’ is a lose-lose for Britain and Europe. Read about my keynote speech @WEF today: https://t.co/IsCei4x9Bl
— Mayor of London (@MayorofLondon) January 18, 2017
Speaking to @BloombergTV at the World Economic Forum about the challenge Brexit poses to London. Read more here: https://t.co/o47Bq383N4 pic.twitter.com/x2Fe7tPU2J
— Mayor of London (@MayorofLondon) January 19, 2017
Fantastic to catch up with Facebook's @nicolamen to talk about Brexit and supporting London's flourishing tech sector. #LondonIsOpen pic.twitter.com/TyDPHl9iLo
— Mayor of London (@MayorofLondon) January 19, 2017
Great to meet PM @erna_solberg to discuss Norway's experience of working with the EU and how we can get the best Brexit deal for London.
— Mayor of London (@MayorofLondon) January 19, 2017
Speaking to @Siemens CEO Joe Kaeser about Brexit and his commitment to continue to invest in London & the UK #LondonIsOpen pic.twitter.com/fuPqDx1XAq
— Mayor of London (@MayorofLondon) January 19, 2017
Great to speak to brilliant British business leaders here @WEF about how we can get the best out of Brexit for London & the UK pic.twitter.com/jeSJbnN6k4
— Mayor of London (@MayorofLondon) January 19, 2017
Rushing between meetings and who do I bump into but the wonderful Archbishop of Canterbury @JustinWelby... pic.twitter.com/26Rte6Mlxa
— Mayor of London (@MayorofLondon) January 19, 2017
Wonderful to meet @antoniocostapm. London has strong links to Portugal and Portuguese Londoners enrich our city. pic.twitter.com/25tmDDf9y9
— Mayor of London (@MayorofLondon) January 19, 2017
In case you missed it. Earlier I spoke to Facebook's @nicolamen about Brexit and supporting London's flourishing tech sector. #LondonIsOpen pic.twitter.com/VFocEz402M
— Mayor of London (@MayorofLondon) January 19, 2017
Good to see @MartinSchulz and discuss how London will remain open to people, ideas and trade over the years ahead #LondonIsOpen pic.twitter.com/IReQiMc5Nk
— Mayor of London (@MayorofLondon) January 19, 2017
Great to meet Canadian Science & Innovation Minister @NavdeepSBains. As Mayor I'm working to strengthen ties with Canadian cities & industry pic.twitter.com/arqk3owaQm
— Mayor of London (@MayorofLondon) January 19, 2017
Excellent meeting in @Davos today with @MayorofLondon @SadiqKhan. Hitachi is committed to London and the UK. @HitachiRailEU pic.twitter.com/OvOrR11mFL
— HitachiRailCEO (@HitachiRailCEO) January 19, 2017
A real pleasure to meet Chinese tech oracle @kaifulee and talk about new innovations for London and the world. pic.twitter.com/RFzit60cvY
— Mayor of London (@MayorofLondon) January 19, 2017
Mayor at Davos: 'hard Brexit' could rip Britain apart
18 January 2017
This evening the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, heads to the World Economic Forum (W.E.F) in Davos, with the message that #LondonisOpen for business.
In his keynote speech to top business and political leaders he will:
- say that privileged access to the single market should be the top priority for Brexit negotiations with the EU, and set out why it is critical for London
- call on businesses and organisations across Europe to make the case to their political leaders for a workable Brexit deal – because a hard Brexit would be a lose-lose situation
- deliver a stark warning that communities across the world are feeling left behind or side-lined, as recent decades have only brought them job losses, lower wages and growing inequalities
- urge global cities to take urgent pro-active steps to build stronger and more integrated communities, to tackle the rise of populism and the threat of more countries leaving the EU
- declare that London will remain Europe’s leading business hub post-Brexit, remaining open to talent, trade and investment from across the globe.
The World Economic Forum works to engage business, political, academic, and other leaders of society to shape global, regional, and industrial plans and policies.
More than 3,000 of the world's leaders are expected to attend this year's event in Davos, including heads of state and central bank governors.
This is the Mayor's first visit to W.E.F - he'll be giving his keynote speech, and meeting with various European heads of state and chief executives to discuss Brexit, security and a vision for the future.