Today (9 April 2026) the Lady Mayor of the City of London, Dame Susan Langley, has warn against protectionism, isolationist policies and short-term decisions during an annual gathering of top-level diplomats in the City of London. Amidst the backdrop of disagreements within the western alliance over the Iran war.

Speaking at the Easter Banquet alongside the Foreign Secretary, Yvette Cooper, the Lady Mayor said that the challenges we face - international security, economic stability and growth, and climate change - are too vast and intertwined to demand anything other than a shared response.

As disruption in one part of the world ripples across continents in a matter of minutes - as supply chains falter, markets react, and real lives are affected - it is clear we are more interconnected than ever before, she said.

The Lady Mayor will highlight the role of the UK’s financial services sector as a cornerstone in these uncertain times. Particularly London’s insurance market, which plays a critical role in underwriting complex and emerging risks - from geopolitics and supply chain disruption to cyber threats and climate-related events.

The annual Banquet brings together Ambassadors, High Commissioners and high-level political figures. Alongside the Lady Mayor, keynote speeches was delivered by the Foreign Secretary, Yvette Cooper, and the Dean of the Diplomatic Corps, His Excellency Ivan Romero-Martinez, the Ambassador of Honduras.

The Lady Mayor of the City of London, Dame Susan Langley, said:

“We meet at a time when the world feels more uncertain and unstable than ever before.

“Conflict is building. The rules that once governed global trade are being tested or cast aside. Technology is racing ahead, reshaping our economies and societies faster than we can fully grasp. 

“This is an age defined by volatility - by insecurity, competition, and, at times, fragmentation.

“But despair is not an option. Because, when the world feels most fragile, that’s precisely when togetherness matters most.

“None of us can navigate this moment alone. Not one nation, not one economy, not one system. The future won’t be built in isolation. It will be built through partnerships grounded in shared values, interests and objectives.

“The challenges we face - international security, economic stability and growth, technological change, climate change - are too vast and intertwined to demand anything other than a shared response.

“So - as this storm rages on - the question before us is whether we choose to strengthen these connections, or allow them to be swept away…  

“I believe we must strengthen them and the UK - and the City - must play its part.

The City is a place where ideas are exchanged, where capital meets purpose, where risks are managed and futures are built.

“The UK is a top provider of world-leading financial and professional services. Services that enable growth and, in times of instability, provide resilience.

“Nowhere is this clearer than in London’s insurance market, which has doubled in size in the last decade. Its depth of expertise, which plays a critical role in underwriting complex and emerging risks - from geopolitics and supply chain disruption to cyber threats and climate-related events - makes it a cornerstone in uncertain times.

“Protectionism, isolationist policies, short-term decisions, these things offer the illusion of control, but, in the long run, they weaken us all.

“Because, in the end, our greatest strength is not in our individual power. It’s in our shared resolve.”

ENDS
Notes to editors

The City of London Corporation is the governing body of the Square Mile dedicated to a vibrant and thriving City, supporting a diverse and sustainable London within a globally-successful UK. www.cityoflondon.gov.uk