UK Business Blog

You couldn’t help enjoying the views over the last week. As Sarkozy and Hollande held their rallies against picturesque Parisian settings, it was hard to imagine how bad it would have to get before you’d feel compelled to leave.

But following Hollande’s election on Sunday, commentators were pondering on the threats of thousands of people to turn their backs on the French capital. Some of them may join the 300,000 fellow French citizens in France’s 6th city. South Kensington already feels a bit like Paris’s Latin Quarter, with the Lycée Francais and the many bistros, cafés and book shops, so they would blend in easily.

I grew up thinking that the French did quite a lot of things better than us: cuisine, style, egalitarianism, la belle vie. Then later, I couldn’t help hearing people talking about wanting to relocate to France, the superior work-life balance, and TV property programmes compounded the idea that a lot of Brits would much rather live in France than in the UK. And I have to admit, the case in favour is compelling. They have generally more space, better weather, proper mountains with snow, and an appreciation for the finer things in life. Though I have to say that their bread doesn’t last long and the idea of having to get up first thing to head to the bakery in your slippers is deeply flawed.

So why are so many Parisians living in London, and why aren’t there similar numbers going the other way? It doesn’t help that Paris is the 6th most expensive city in the world. But it is a question I often ask of the many French people I interview. The one thing they all agree on is that it improves their careers, because London offers significantly more opportunity and a less hierarchical, less formal employment environment. I hear it but it sometimes doesn’t go in. Have we flipped round the stereotypes of the British stiff upper lip and the French laissez-faire?  Can London really be viewed as the great meritocratic metropolis by the French? If not, then why did Sarkozy comment to French expats on a trip to London in 2007, “France is still your country even if you are disappointed by it”?

Still, Sarkozy is yesterday’s man. I look forward to the Merkel-Hollande boxing match, and to seeing if Hollande has the stomach to implement his promised 75% tax rate. And who knows, we could all soon again be enjoying coq au vin and a Burgundy in Paris for 50 francs, or souvlaki and retsina for 2,000 drachmas in Athens. Fantastic food for a fiver!

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London

The UK isn’t all just green rolling hills y’know! The capital of England, London, is arguably the world’s largest financial centre and a cultural hotspot brimming with arts and entertainment. It is a must-see for your bucket list (or more appropriately, a must-do). Don’t take our word for it…take our useless trivia instead:

Big Ben, the most notorious disguise in London....

• A vast majority of the museums in London are free. If you prepared a packed lunch and chose to walk rather than use the London Underground, known as the Tube, you could enjoy a great free day out.

• What do umbrellas, mobile phones and false teeth have in common? They are frequently lost every year on the Tube – thousands of them! Some of the weirdest items lost on London transport include a stuffed puffer fish, breast implants, a lawn mower and a coffin!

• If all those lost items weren’t enough to make you feel crowded on the tube, maybe the fact that more people live in London than Scotland and Northern Ireland added together might do?

• The big secret that every Londoner knows: contrary to popular belief that Big Ben refers to the world famous clock, it is actually the name of the bell within the clock tower.

 Katie Jamieson

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