Business dismay at no-shows for mayoral hustings

At every London Mayoral election since the post was created by Tony Blair in 2000 there has been a candidates hustings organised by leading business groups. 

It is a chance for pretenders to the most important directly elected post in Britain to lay out their stall on how to help bring growth and prosperity to the capital — and the UK as a whole. This campaign’s business hustings was scheduled to take place yesterday morning.

But it did not happen. The main candidates, the Tories’ Susan Hall and Labour’s Sadiq Khan pulled out, leaving organisers with no choice but to scrap the event. To rate the reaction as “disappointment” would be to hugely underplay the sense of frustration and dismay among many of London’s business leaders due to attend. 

Although the Mayor has little direct input into economic policy, the occupant of City Hall can influence the business climate in which companies have to operate. 

It is simply unacceptable that those whose lead these businesses did not get the chance to hear what the next four years of the Mayoralty could bring. Since the last Mayoral election in 2021, London business has faced a barrage of challenges on a scale not seen for decades.

As well as the lingering effects of the pandemic lockdowns, there has been the cost of living crisis, the energy shock and myriad other higher costs, labour shortages, and the loss of VAT-free shopping. Business are also concerned about levels of crime and the shortage of affordable housing for employees. 

All these issues and more could have been aired at what would have been an illuminating hustings.

Sadiq Khan has always pitched himself as the most pro-business Mayor London has ever seen. It is a big boast, and many in the business community would disagree with the claim.

At the very least they should have been given the chance to hear why it is justified and why his opponent feels she could do better. Sadly it was not to be.