[Closed] A question for Londoners..

The ratio of nice people:shitheads would increase dramatically.

EDIT: Apologies for the first answer being from a non London based immigrant. 🙂

It really is quite easy for much of the activity to move overseas, and to a certain extent some of the human flesh needed to undertake that activity. Whole teams can be bought and relocated. It's really not such a big issue in the city.

If they did up and leave in large numbers, real estate demand in the city would plummet and Id expect many £bns wiped of the value of pension funds holding REITS and property assets as a result.

A lot of art and leisure sponsorship would be hit...there's a good deal of "buying respectability" out there.

As to what would fill the void, no idea. Probably more shopping. Its the only other thing we seem to do 🙂

So called 'Rocket Scientists' might have to actually build rockets. Head for the bunkers !

The financial services sector is the biggest earner in the entire economy, afaik. And I suspect there's a critical mass thing going on - banks come to London cos all the other banks are there. If they all upped sticks it'd be a disaster.

Although it'd be a nice irony. Canary wharf is built on the derelict remains of another past industry, so what could we build on the derelict remains of finance?

I would re-landscape it all into salt marshes and wilderness, personally.

Part of the continuing appeal of London to foreign companies is its
cosmopolitan status. Frankfurt and Tokyo, for example, are primarily market
places for domestic participants to which foreign players are granted access.
London, and to a lesser extent, New York are characterised by foreigners
trading with each other. In an increasingly international economy, London
seems to have a solid future as a global financial centre.

[url= http://www.zyen.com/PDF/LCGFC.pdf ]here[/url]

Edit. I think financial services are about 15% of UKPLC.

Stoner/molgrips - sounds like the City really does have the UK Govt over a barrel on this then.

London has seen colossal change over it's history, and it's stature as the World's Greatest City would mean it would still remain a massive draw for all sorts of other industries and trades. And it has some of the finest institutions of art and culture on Earth, which the wealthy would continue to patronise. The Pyramids jolly well have not fallen down just cos the Pharoes all died out...

If they did up and leave in large numbers, real estate demand in the city would plummet

Would definitely be affected, but a vacuum sucks in stuff, so there would be things to fill the void quite quickly. Would take more than just one kind of industry leaving to really bring it all crashing down.

The rest of the UK would be royally screwed though...

Druidh - who do you think is in charge of Britain? Who do you think should be in charge?

what could we build on the derelict remains of finance?

Woodworking workshops! 🙂

Who do you think should be in charge?

Me! 😀

Who do you think should be in charge?

Me!

See this? This is bad. Someone call COBRA.

The Pyramids jolly well have not fallen down just cos the Pharoes all died out...

So what are you suggesting .........that we pile 2 ton stones on top of each other into a great big heap, just so that in 3,000 years time people will still know where London was ?

Don't be so [i]stupid[/i], Ernie. 🙄

This is bad.

It is not bad in fact it is very very good idea and one I endorse wholeheartedly. 😀

personally I think it would not be as bad as they make it out it would be and not be so easy that we could easily cope/barely notice with the lost revenue. Hence why the tax is a good idea if applied universally- yes i know how realistic that is