ERROL PARKER | Editor-at-large | Contact
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is wary continued inflation and higher energy prices put London at risk of becoming a second – or even third tier European city as the cost of living crisis in the UK goes from bad to worse.
Prime Minister Sunak explained that “London is at risk of becoming the ‘Adelaide of Europe’ if things don’t change for the better”.
“The last few years have been tough for Britain,” Mr Sunak said to reporters outside Number 10 Downing Street.
“Because of the spicy cough and the restrictions around it. Because of lagging effects of the GFC and the damage that did to our economy. The ongoing effects of Brexit, uh, actually Brexit has been a net positive, uh. Inflation has been very tough to bring under control. We’re having to pay for what we borrowed during the pandemic, which is something to be expected,”
“However, there is a very real danger than London could become some sort of overlooked and largely ignored city, much like Adelaide is in Australia. The thought of international business leaving for the likes of Dublin and the continent is terrifying but obviously plausible,”
“Not that Adelaide is a bad place, it’s just simply not important to much. The second largest city in South Australia is Gawler and 25000 people live there. You could say Birmingham is in danger of becoming the Gawler of Europe. If that doesn’t shock you, nothing will.”
The Advocate reached out to the South Australian Government for comment but the government is closed Mondays and Tuesdays.
More to come.
