Thursday 11 May 2017
The Rt. Hon the Lord Mayor, Dr Andrew Parmley, the Lord Mayor of the City of London, visited Guernsey yesterday to provide local politicians and industry representatives with an insight into the City of London's outlook and priorities in anticipation of the United Kingdom's eventual withdrawal from the European Union.
The Lord Mayor's role is to act as an overseas Ambassador for UK-wide financial and professional services, representing the interests of businesses in this sector, regardless of whether or not they are geographically located in 'the Square Mile'.
The City of London and Guernsey hold very strong historical ties and closely aligned interests.
Evidence of this longstanding relationship can be found at St Paul's Cathedral situated in the City of London. In the 19th century, Guernsey granite was used in the construction of bridges and pavements in the United Kingdom, but the local industry's proudest moment lies in the fact that Guernsey granite was also used to form the steps of the historic landmark in London, St Paul's Cathedral. To honour this piece of history and the relationship, local company Granite Le Pelley, have provided the gift of thanks to the Lord Mayor. The gift was an ornament in the form of a set of steps constructed from Guernsey granite.
During his time in Guernsey, Alderman Andrew Parmley met with Guernsey politicians to further understand Guernsey's place in the world, system of government and economy. Politicians also took the opportunity to set out Guernsey's position regarding the UK's withdrawal from the EU, and the implications that Brexit will have for the island.
The Lord Mayor also participated in a panel session with representatives of local industry focusing on 'The City after Brexit', hosted by Deputy Lyndon Trott, offering the view from the City and insight into the concerns and aspirations of the UK financial and professional services sector as the formal Brexit negotiation begin.
President of the Policy & Resources Committee, Deputy Gavin St Pier said:
"I was very pleased to welcome the Lord Mayor of the City of London to Guernsey. The visit to Guernsey further demonstrated the close links and interests between the City of London and the Channel Islands. This is a particularly important time as the UK moves forward with their negotiations to leave the EU.
It provided a great opportunity for both government and local industry representatives to inform the Lord Mayor of their views in relation to the risks and opportunities posed by Brexit, so that these views can be fed back to the UK Government. It was also extremely interesting to hear the Lord Mayor's views and feedback following his recent visits overseas and to get an insight into some of the concerns and aspirations of other international markets."
The Rt. Hon the Lord Mayor, Dr Andrew Parmley said:
"As an ambassador for the City of London and all UK business, I am very glad to visit a country with a prosperous financial and professional services sector and important, long-standing relationship with the UK.
"Testing times lie ahead for both Guernsey and the UK, but I am confident that our Government can secure a deal that will maintain our competitive advantage, along with the strength of our commerce and communities. My visit ties into the commencement of negotiations with the EU, and we are committed to work with our valued partners in order to ensure Brexit works for all."
