London’s resilience is a lesson to policymakers everywhere

In 2012 London could claim to be the world’s pre-eminent city. The Olympics had given it a showcase. Despite the financial crisis, globalisation was still just about in vogue and cosmopolitan London was its emblem. Since then, it has been hit by a series of blows. Brexit signalled that Britain was turning inwards and made its capital a less attractive place for businesses. Covid-19 raised big questions for cities everywhere; workers in central London are in the office on average for just 2.3 days per week. Over the past decade some of the most powerful currents in Western politics—anti-globalisation, fear of immigration, the fetishisation of manufacturing—have turned against London.