LONDON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 14th August, 2020) Central London, the UK capital's economic powerhouse generating a huge revenue for the entire country, faces a perfect storm due to the pandemic, its mayor warned on Thursday.
"We face a perfect storm in the West End from people working from home, people socially distancing, lack of public confidence but also the collapse of domestic and international tourism," Sadiq Khan said in a video address.
Business leaders fear they could be losing a third of jobs in retail, hospitality and culture � more than 5,000 � in the course of this year, estimated at around 5 billion Pounds ($6.5 billion), the mayor added.
He called on the government to "step in and work with me for a bespoke package" of financial and fiscal measures for the West End, including an extension of the business rates holiday, in order to entice consumers back to the shops.
