Stand firm against 'terrorist bullies', City urged
The Lord Mayor of the City of London today urged workers in the financial heart of the capital to “stand firm” against terrorists.
Michael Savory said staff of banks and other City firms should try to ensure the financial hub is working normally by Monday morning.
Mr Savory, who flies back tonight from a business trip to Asia, said the bomb blasts had caused “a shocking and painful time for many, above all the families and friends of the dead and injured”.
But he said the “despicable and ghastly act of cowardly violence” would not achieve its aims in disrupting people’s lives and work.
“London and the Square Mile at its heart have already shown that crucial business and financial operations are fully resilient,” Mr Savory said.
“I am sure that on Monday at 7am, the City will be humming as usual to prove Londoners just get on with it. That’s our best answer to terrorist bullies.
“I shall certainly be at my desk, opposite the Bank of England, working as I have done for 40 years.
“Terrorists have not won, cannot win and will not win.”
Mr Savory, who said he had stayed in Asia until today to show that important business must go on, said most workers were in their offices today, despite yesterday’s atrocities.
In the City, sombre traders and office workers made their way to work, vowing it was business as usual.
Some people had to find alternative routes to their offices as the roads around Aldgate station, where the first blast tore through a Tube train, remained sealed off as a crime scene.
But although some were inconvenienced, workers refused to be cowed by the atrocities.
Stockbroker Glen Howe, 32, said he normally travels to work on the Circle line, which he was unable to use today, so he had to walk 25 minutes from Moorgate station to get to work.
“It’s no big deal really. It’s the people that got hurt that is of more concern. You just have to get on with it,” he said.
Financial adviser Andy Jones, 38, said he considered staying away today, but refused to be beaten by the terrorists.
“If it’s going to happen, it’s going to happen. My wife wasn’t too happy about me coming into work, but it’s one of those things.”
One man, who did not want to be named, said he and his colleagues had been trapped in their office building yesterday until 2pm.
“We had to get to the back of the building and stay there,” he said.
“People reacted very calmly. I just hope the people affected by it are all right.”
Most people appeared to have had little difficulty in getting to work today, but faced severe delays or long walks home yesterday evening.
One stockbroker said he walked for two hours before reaching a place where his wife could pick him up, while another man said he had walked for four hours to his home in Ealing, west London.
Banker Mark Edwards, 34, said it could be months before the financial markets fully recovered.
“I don’t think it will have a major financial impact on the country as a whole, but the markets will be a bit slow and people will remain a bit wary.”
