Sadiq Khan has urged EU nationals to visit the United Kingdom, hailing London as the “capital of Europe.”
Despite the end of free movement as a result of Brexit, London’s Mayor has committed to make the capital city a desirable place to reside.
“I’ve got to make it more attractive for you to choose London [rather] than Frankfurt or Paris or Dublin,” he said.
He pointed to London’s diverse range of attractions, including the popular Abba Voyage show and Major League Baseball.
He said: “I’ve got to make sure that our nightlife, our museums, our galleries, our values, what we can offer, trumps the ease of going to another European city because of free movement.”
Khan stated that whilst Britain has left the EU, it still remains a European country.
“I think it’s the capital of Europe,” he stated.
Khan said that attracting EU citizens to come to London was plagued with challenges.
To get a job in the UK, EU residents must get a work visa which requires a job of a salary earning £26,200.
Whereas, if the chose to relocate to an EU city such as Dublin, they could move around visa-free.
Khan said Brexit had also changed people’s opinions on the country.
“We’ve got to accept as Brits that us leaving the EU has sent shockwaves around the world, including in the EU, about how we’re perceived – fairly or unfairly,” he said.
He said: “When you go into the European Commission and speak to politicians, or when you speak to chief executives in mainland Europe, a lot of them know London really well. They studied here, they travelled here, they did a foreign exchange here, and they fell in love with the city.
“And that means they want to invest here. That means they want to come on holiday here. That means they want to do business here.”
The Mayor said: “There’s less xenophobia, less bigotry. And a lot of that is familiarity, because we’ve got to know that Italian food’s not too bad actually, it’s wonderful; we’ve got to listen to Spanish music; we’ve got to make friends with people who are French.”