The 2025 Annual Lord Mayor's Event

The UK remains the number one financial centre in the world. From our expertise in areas like green finance and asset management, to our deep capital markets and strong talent pool, we have much to shout about and so much to look forward to. But there is a wall of regulation, over-caution, and under-confidence holding us back. To keep our crown, we must reform our attitude to risk. In this annual lecture, the Lord Mayor Alderman Alastair King DL will explain how his 2024-2025 mayoral theme, Growth Unleashed, seeks to reignite our appetite for positive risk, seize our national edge in innovation, and support the many communities that make London unique in order to unlock new growth and prosperity - in line with the new Government’s focus on kickstarting economic growth.

With emerging markets set to grow twice as fast as advanced economies, we must be bolder, think smarter, and take off the handbrake. The Lord Mayor will discuss plans to build on the ambitions of the Mansion House Compact, a landmark agreement that saw some of the UK’s largest Defined Contribution pension providers commit to allocate 5% of their default funds to unlisted equities by 2030 to channel funds to high-growth companies and boost savers’ pension pots.