Tuesday 26 January 2021

Responding to unemployment figures showing London has the highest rates in the country, Richard Burge, Chief Executive of London Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said:

“It is clear that London has been hit harder economically by the pandemic than anywhere in the UK. The capital has the highest levels of unemployment in the UK, with the largest quarterly increase.

"Even before lockdown, restrictions meant that footfall in central London had recovered less than elsewhere in the country. With the prospect of tourism and business travel likely to be further curtailed by new border policy, in real terms all of this all amounts to a levelling down of London, at least for the time being.

"The Government must of course do what is scientifically required to deal with covid transmission and vaccination, but they must also put aside political soundbite and demonstrate that they understand the consequence of a levelling down of London to the UK’s recovery, and levelling-up and Global Britain delivery.

“We will shortly be laying out what London needs to see from the Chancellor in the Budget to address this.”