Keeping London ahead of the game

CALLUM MCCARTHY, of the UK’s Financial Services Authority, outlines his views of London as an international financial centre

LONDON is quite simply the most international capital market centre in the world. We have more than 250 foreign banks in London. Last year two-thirds of the IPOs in western Europe occurred in London. It is the centre chosen by most international financial services conglomerates as their headquarters in Europe or in this timezone. It represents one of the most successful sectors in the British economy.