The joy of hustle and bustle is returning to London

Commuters
Back on track: commuters return to Victoria station after rail service cuts
Jeremy Selwyn
Paul Scully25 January 2022
WEST END FINAL

Get our award-winning daily news email featuring exclusive stories, opinion and expert analysis

I would like to be emailed about offers, event and updates from Evening Standard. Read our privacy notice.

London is not only the best capital city in the world but also the most resilient. That’s down to the wonderful people who live here. It’s a melting pot of ideas, people and cultures.

London’s vibrant cultural and business life has created a powerhouse that has spearheaded the UK’s economy for hundreds of years.

The city and its people have successfully seen off challenges like the Great Fire of London, the Blitz and the doldrums of economic stagnation in the 1970s.

As we remove the restrictions that were previously necessary to protect us from COVID-19, I have no doubt that London will come back better, brighter and more economically successful than ever.

The guidance to work from home has ended. From Thursday, you will no longer have to prove your COVID status to go to large venues like sporting events or nightclubs. Face masks will no longer be mandatory in most indoor public places, though the Mayor has decided they will still be required on Transport for London services.

Now is the time to emerge from these restrictions and pull together. For many of us, that will mean returning to the office to see our colleagues face-to-face to encourage collaborative working, with some firms looking at flexible working too. And as more people return to the office and choose to travel by train, we expect to see rail companies putting on more services to meet this growing demand.

The lifting of these restrictions will also mean safely supporting small businesses like the capital’s world-renowned pubs, restaurants and cafes. I still urge Londoners to keep to the safer behaviours that, after the past two years, will be common sense for most of us – such as letting in fresh air and thinking about wearing face coverings in crowded indoor areas.

And the single best way to protect yourself and your loved ones is to get vaccinated. Whether it is your first, second or booster jab, please get jabbed as soon as possible. By doing this we can safely restore the hustle and bustle that is one of the joys of life in London. And in the long run, we are going to have to learn to live with COVID-19 and take sensible precautions, as we do with many other illnesses like the flu.

As a business minister and a former businessman, myself, I know the challenges the past two years have posed for London’s economy, but there are many opportunities ahead.

Yesterday, we announced that we are removing all testing measures for eligible fully vaccinated travellers arriving in England from 11 February, just in time for the February half term.

The changes mean that the UK has one of the most free-flowing borders across Europe, on top of having one of the most open economies and societies. The relaxation of travel rules is a fantastic opportunity for London once again to attract tourists and business travellers from across the globe, whilst supporting our aviation industry to thrive

Together, we can get London back on its feet sooner rather than later – and pave the way to build back better from the pandemic for years to come.

On Thursday we are taking a huge step along the road to recovery with the recent restrictions being lifted. As we get London back towards life as normal, we can set our eyes on a sustainable and brighter future not only for Londoners - and the visitors who will come again in their millions - but for the theatres, pubs, restaurants and more that are the heartbeat of the city we all love and treasure.

Create a FREE account to continue reading

eros

Registration is a free and easy way to support our journalism.

Join our community where you can: comment on stories; sign up to newsletters; enter competitions and access content on our app.

Your email address

Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number

You must be at least 18 years old to create an account

* Required fields

Already have an account? SIGN IN

By clicking Create Account you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use , Cookie policy and Privacy policy .

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in