London - London has been named the most influential city in the world.
American business magazine Forbes decided on the accolade – despite describing the UK as a “second-rate power” that had suffered “more than a century of imperial decline”.
Driven by its history as a financial global powerhouse – and helped by its time zone and air connections – the British capital continues to hold sway over its upstart competitors, Forbes said.
It also pointed to the city’s rising technology sector, which includes Google’s largest office outside Silicon Valley and more than 3 000 start-ups – the highest of any city in Europe.
The Forbes survey said: “The UK may now be a second-rate power, but the City’s unparalleled legacy as a global financial capital still underpins its pre-eminence.”
It added: “A preferred domicile for the global rich, London is not only the historic capital of the English language, which contributes to its status as a powerful media hub and major advertising centre, but it’s also the birthplace of the cultural, legal and business practices that define global capitalism.”
New York took second place and Paris was third. Completing the top ten were Singapore, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Dubai, joint eighth place for Beijing and Sydney, and San Francisco, Los Angeles and Toronto sharing tenth. - Daily Mail