London Mayor Sadiq Khan, in his first Brussels speech, delivered a simple but combative message: London is open to the world, regardless of the U.K. governmentâs Brexit strategy.
Khan began his speech at POLITICOâs New European Order conference by leading a moment of silence for the victims of the Westminster terror attack. He went on to say that “Now is the time to be confident,” not for the EU “to send a message or spread fear by punishing the U.K.”
London’s mayor cast a hard Brexit, in which the U.K. ends up outside the EU single market and customs union, possibly without a transition deal, as a âlose-lose deal for London and Europe.â
Defying both the strategy and the rhetoric of British Prime Minister Theresa May, Khan said the EU has been a force for good in the world. He urged observers not to underestimate how much of Londonâs âcollective successâ is down to the city’s participation in the EUâs single market and wider union.
Speaking in the margins of the event Khan said he was âoptimisticâ the British government would recognize Londonâs âunique needsâ and eventually agree to a flexible immigration system. Such a system, in Khan’s view, would allow London-based firms to access the foreign skills he says it needs to thrive, possibly via regionally limited work permits.
Khan insisted that while âsome parts of the country might not want talent, London wants talent and needs it.â
Instead of hoping to persuade May to his way of thinking, Khan is betting on remorseless economic logic to persevere.
âFor the country to succeed, Londonâs got to succeed,â Khan said. âLondonâs success for hundreds of years has been down to Londonâs âability to attract people, ideas and trade.”
On the sensitive subject of how United States President Donald Trump should be received in London, Khan said that âPlenty of American presidents have visited London without a state visitâ and that he wouldnât be rolling out the red carpet for Trump.