I was speaking at an event in the City yesterday. The occasion let me reach an audience that I might not usually engage with, and as a result I am accepting that it would be inappropriate to disclose the identity of my hosts. But under the Chatham House rule, which applied, I can discuss comment made unattributably.<\/p>\n
A number of messages came back to me. One is that bankers are most fearful of a hung parliament on 13 December. They don\u2019t want Corbyn, but they fear more uncertainty most of all.<\/p>\n
Economically I\u2019d suggest that there was little understanding of multipliers on display, although there were some exceptions.<\/p>\n
Green has not permeated this far, by and large. If it has, it\u2019s thought to be Tesla.<\/p>\n
And the idea that people will leave the U.K. (or let\u2019s be honest, small parts of London) because of tax seems real, when tiny numbers actually will, at most, based on precedent.<\/p>\n
But one thing that almost inevitably became obvious is how limited the horizons of those in the City are. They can discuss \u2018red walls\u2019 in the Midlands, for example. But when I discussed the significance of the SNP \/ Tory battle in Scotland for Johnson and that during the night of 12\/13 December looking at the Borders and the areas around Aberdeen might be wise if a view on Johnson\u2019s real chances is to be sought this was like a revelation.<\/p>\n
The City might know that there is a world beyond commuter zones. But it\u2019s awareness of it does really feel very limited. And that\u2019s worrying given the massive economic and social significance of all these areas, not least as they impact on the City.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"