TheCityUK

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Twenty-pound-notes.jpg This article is part of the Lobbying Portal, a sunlight project from Spinwatch.
TheCityUK, 65a Basinghall Street, London EC2V 5DZ

TheCityUK is a financial services lobbying group. Its aim is 'to make the UK the best place in the world to establish and grow a financial services business and, in turn, to maximise the sector's contribution to the UK.' Its advisory council includes Sir Win Bischoff, Chairman of Lloyds Banking Group and London Lord Mayor Boris Johnson. [1]

Activities

Outlining the importance of a sector that employs over 1 million people or 1 in every 10 of the working population, TheCityUK says its "senior team regularly engages with regulators and policymakers at home and overseas, ensuring the sector's views are represented at the highest levels". [1]

It claims to be "independent and politically neutral".[1]

TheCityUK, 65a Basinghall Street, London EC2V 5DZ (behind City of London Corporation offices)

Lobbying for Goldman Sachs

Correspondence obtained by SpinWatch reveals that in December 2009 TheCityUK's chairman Stuart Popham hosted a lunch attended by the then shadow chancellor, George Osborne, London's Lord Mayor Boris Johnson and Goldman Sachs International's co-CEO Michael Sherwood. Popham at the time was senior partner in Clifford Chance, the law firm representing American banks in their lobbying efforts against EU efforts to toughen regulation. [2]

“The purpose of the lunch”, according to a letter from Boris Johnson dated 21 December 2009, “is to discuss threats to London's competitiveness as a global financial centre”, as well as “to hear your concerns and suggestions, and to reassure you that we remain committed to doing all we can to ensure London retains its position.”[2]

Days before the lunch, Johnson had written to Goldman's Chair and CEO, Lloyd Blankfein, to restate his support for the City: “I will strongly defend London's financial services industry against the threats of punitive taxation and new burdensome EU regulations”, he wrote.[2]

Against the Financial Transactions Tax

The CityUK has lobbied heavily against Europe's proposed Financial Transactions Tax (FTT). In February 2012 chief executive Chris Cummings commented that a FTT would hinder growth, increase costs for consumers and hit pension savers. It would not result in an increased 'tax take' for governments because hedge funds would look elsewhere to invest:

A FTT will hinder UK and European competitiveness at a time when we need to do all we can to stimulate economic growth. The lion’s share of independent analysis shows that a FTT would increase costs for both industry and consumers, without adding to the tax take.
If we’re not careful, we’re in real danger of creating a 'lose-lose' situation: the public finds their weekly shopping more expensive and their pensions lower – and the politicians won't have the extra tax income they were banking on. When Sweden introduced a similar tax in the 1980’s, bond trading became so expensive that virtually all the business flowed elsewhere.
Ultimately industry and policymakers need to work together to protect European competitiveness. A FTT risks penalising savers, undermining industry and reducing the European tax take – a result that is in no-one’s best interest.” [3]

People

=Leadership team

Board

Lobbying agency

Clients

Publications, Contact, Resources and Notes

Publications

Contact

Address:65a Basinghall Street

London EC2V 5DZ

Phone:020 7776 8970.
Email:info@thecityuk.com
Website:http://www.thecityuk.com/

Resources

Notes

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 About TheCityUK, TheCityUK website, accessed 24 March 2011
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 SpinWatch, Doing God’s Work: How Goldman Sachs Rigs the Game - SpinWatch investigation detailing Goldman Sachs’ secret lobbying activities in the UK and Brussels and links to politicians. Published on Scribd, March 2011. p8.
  3. FTT will increase costs and restrict growth, press release published 15/02/2012, acc 14 March 2012