Budget 2021 – Snap Centre for London Response

In response to the 2021 Autumn Budget, Nick Bowes, Chief Executive at Centre for London said:

“The current state of the country’s finances needs a strong London economy firing on all cylinders to sustain it, yet sparkling wine got more mentions than London today.

 “Based on the Chancellor’s statement the capital is getting little attention from government and their focus on ‘England outside of London’ sounds like a new country. Taking London’s continued success for granted is a gamble given how hard the city’s economy has been hit by the pandemic with the capital’s recovery slower than in any other region.

 “Children in London are more likely to grow up in poverty than children elsewhere in the UK and the numbers out of work in London are higher than the national average. Yet London has received the smallest pot of money from the Levelling Up Fund in England – and this is a paltry reflection of the deep levelling up challenges within the city.”