>

News

You are here: Home » News » London v Singapore: a score draw

London v Singapore: a score draw

Posted on Friday, September 13, 2013 and tagged as Press

THERE was friendly sparring at the Clyde & Co gym in Houndsditch on Wednesday night at the Autumn Seminar of the London and South East branch of the Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers as part of London International Shipping Week.

It pitched entrepreneurial recruitment consultant Heidi Heseltine against industry heavyweight veteran Alan Marsh in a London versus Singapore merits battle subtitled: "Is the sun setting in the west?"

In the red corner the graceful Ms Heseltine - her company has offices in both cities - put a Utopia-like case for Singapore: 15%-20% tax rate; low crime; excellent health care and education; boundless networking opportunities, indeed, "a location of choice" she said.

Furthermore, if the sun was setting in the west, it was "shining at its brightest in Singapore", she said.

"Not so," said the former chief executive of Braemar Seascope and past-president of the ICS emerging from the red, white and blue corner. "News of the death of London is very premature."

Wielding a strong punch, Marsh gave as an example a discussion had with shipping tycoon John Fredriksen in London the previous evening. Mr Fredriksen apparently said that he preferred London to any other city in the world and visited as often as he could. It was a city, he said ,where he "could pick the brains of so many experts".

Suffice to say the gloves came off and a draw was declared.

 

Lloyd's List Thursday 12th September 2013

Categories

Archive