• Annual dinner brings together London government leaders to start the year
  • Mayor of London and Chair of London Councils to speak alongside the Lady Mayor
  • Lady Mayor will encourage London’s leaders to push against fragmentation and work together 

 

The Lady Mayor of the City of London, Dame Susan Langley, will tonight [15 January 2026] call on London’s political and business leaders to embrace greater partnership to strengthen the capital’s standing on the world stage.

 

Speaking at the annual London Government Dinner alongside the Mayor of London Sir Sadiq Khan and London Councils Chair Claire Holland OBE, the Lady Mayor will say the City’s relentless focus on delivering success globally depends on trust, talent and strong connections with the rest of the capital.

 

She will warn that in an increasingly competitive world, fragmentation is a threat to the capital’s shared success, stressing that London’s position as a safe, secure and strong global city is underpinned by trusted institutions, including the City of London Police — whose work protecting businesses, tackling fraud and keeping the Square Mile secure supports confidence and investment across the whole capital.

 

Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said:

“London is the best city for business in the world – an economic powerhouse bristling with creativity, innovation and enterprise, the engine of the UK economy and a leading global financial centre.

 

“We must continue to work together to protect our business ecosystem by strengthening partnerships – both local and global – and look towards the future to tackle the impact of AI on London’s labour market, which will be nothing short of colossal. We must future-proof our economy, and our workforce, seizing the potential of AI and use it as a superpower for positive transformation and creation, or risk being left behind.”

 

 

Chair of London Councils, Councillor Claire Holland OBE, said:

 

“We achieve far more for our city and for the communities we represent by working together in a spirit of collaboration. The cross-party consensus we have always sought to build through London Councils is foundational to our ability to have a strong London voice.

 

“And it’s provided us with the means to strengthen collaboration between boroughs and the GLA – whether that’s jointly developing the London Growth Plan, making homes and buildings more energy efficient through Warmer Homes London, or taking a more coordinated approach to tackling homelessness and rough sleeping.”

 

The Lady Mayor of the City of London, Dame Susan Langley will say (please check against delivery):

 

“For centuries, the City has been a place where deals are made and honoured. People do business here because they trust and respect the system. Contracts are enforced. Disputes are resolved. And in an increasingly uncertain time, that is priceless. 

 

“The City attracts people who are ambitious, skilled, and globally minded. They come from every corner of the UK and beyond. They’re experts in finance, law, technology and, yes, innovations we don’t even have a name for yet. But that talent doesn’t live, study, build a career, or create a future just in the City, it lives in Haringey and Hammersmith, Croydon and Camden.

 

“You now have a Bow born girl standing before you as Lady Mayor. The City thrives because it’s connected – to global markets, yes, but to the entire London ecosystem too.  Through its transport networks, universities, cultural institutions, its faith groups, and the diverse communities that bind us together. London and the City32 boroughs and our Square Mile. 

 

“The truth is none of us can succeed in isolation. In a competitive, turbulent world, fragmentation is weakness, togetherness is strength. It’s why, for our part, the City Corporation strives to maintain those connections. The new London Museum, a joint endeavour backed by more than £400 million from the City Corporation and the Mayor of London, is due to open this year – one of Europe’s biggest cultural developments that will tell the story of our entire city.

 

“The City of London Police remains not only one of the highest performing police services in the country – ensuring the safety and security of the Square Mile which facilitates the significant investment that takes place here but also has a unique responsibility as the national lead force for fraud. In fact, with an effective crime rate of 0.01 per capita per year, the Square Mile is one of the safest areas in the country – much safer, I should add, than our competitor cities.

 

“We sit here tonight at the very heart of a living, breathing ecosystem that’s powered by its people, their creativity, and ideas.

 

“The City of London has survived for nearly two thousand years, not because it’s stayed the same, but because it’s adapted, again and again, to new realities and evolving stories.” 

 

 

Notes to editors

 

ABOUT THE CITY OF LONDON CORPORATION:

The City of London Corporation is the governing body of the Square Mile dedicated to a vibrant and thriving City, supporting a diverse and sustainable London within a globally successful UK. www.cityoflondon.gov.uk

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