Yesterday evening, we were delighted to host more than 160 senior business leaders and political stakeholders at the House of Lords for our annual Winter Parliamentary Reception – a fantastic opportunity to bring together our members and policymakers to discuss the future of London.
Sponsored by Ballymore and Waymo – and organised in partnership with London Councils and the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for London, the event showcased the power of collaboration between the public and private sectors, and underlined a shared commitment to ensuring that London remains the best city in the world to do business.
Our speakers were united in the need for partnership and bold action to secure London’s long-term success.
Florence Eshalomi MP, Chair of the Housing, Communities and Local Government Select Committee, opened by highlighting the urgent need to tackle London’s housing crisis, including the £5 million daily cost to councils of temporary accommodation.
Our Chief Executive, John Dickie, welcomed the recently announced plans in the Chancellor’s Autumn Budget to extend the Docklands Light Railway to Thamesmead – something for which BusinessLDN has long campaigned – while emphasising the pressing need to accelerate growth.
Lord Kulveer Ranger, Co-chair of the APPG for London, added his voice to the call for a long-term investment, underscoring the importance of cross-party collaboration to the success of the capital.
Attention then turned to unlocking investment. John Mulryan, Group Managing Director of Ballymore, highlighted the regulatory and tax barriers holding back development and the transformative potential of the recent housebuilding package announced by the Government and the Mayor of London, while Munira Wilson MP, Co-chair of the APPG for London, added a note of caution, highlighting how some new measures – including the international student levy and changes to business rates – risk undermining London’s competitiveness. Innovation was also firmly on the agenda. Trent Victor, Director of Safety Research and Best Practices at Waymo, shared his insights into the benefits of introducing driverless vehicles to London, continuing the city’s tradition of transport leadership, dating all the way back to the creation of the Tube network.
Bringing the evening to a close, Claire Holland, Chair of London Councils, highlighted how collective advocacy – including by BusinessLDN – has helped secure a fairer approach to the upcoming local government finance settlement.
A huge thank you to our sponsors Ballymore and Waymo – and to everyone who joined us and contributed to such an upbeat and energising evening as we approach the end of an eventful 2025 for the capital.