The What Next for London? podcast is brought to you by BusinessLDN, the capital's leading business campaign group. Our mission is to make London the best city in the world in which to do business, working for and with the UK. On 'What Next for London?' we speak to business leaders from across the capital and get their opinion on the biggest issues facing our city.
Music is provided by Coma-Media
What will pedestrianisation of Oxford Street mean for the future of the West End? with Westminster City Council, the Oxford Street Development Corporation and New West End Company
Pedestrianisation of Oxford Street has been talked about for decades, but it is now finally set to become a reality. From 26 October, almost a kilometre of the nation's high street will be closed to traffic as part of a wider push to regenerate the area.
Our latest What Next for London? podcast examines what pedestrianisation will mean in practice for businesses, visitors and residents that use Oxford Street. We also explore how these hotly debated plans fit into a wider vision for other parts of the West End and what else is needed to drive growth in an area that is an economic powerhouse for the whole country.
The discussion features expert insight from three people who are at the very heart of the future of Oxford Street and the West End: Nabeel Khan, Chief Executive, Oxford Street Development Corporation; Dee Corsi, Chief Executive, New West End Company; and Cllr Paul Swaddle, Leader, Westminster City Council.
Running order:
Introduction (0:01)
What should pedestrianisation of Oxford Street look like? (2:37)
Working together to deliver (17:32)
The wider West End (22:59)
What else is needed? (29:55)
The role of devolution (36:24)
West End hot spots (40:43)
Subscribe to receive future episodes of What Next for London? on Apple and Spotify. Follow us on X at @_businessLDN and on LinkedIn at BusinessLDN.
Music is provided by Coma-Media.
7 Sept 2026
How can we bolster the capital's global reputation? with the Lady Mayor of the City of London
In our latest What Next for London? podcast, our Chief Executive John Dickie speaks with the Lady Mayor of the City of London, Dame Susan Langley, about her campaign to tackle disinformation targeting the capital and what more can be done to boost the city's global reputation as international destinations vie for investment.
The pair also talk through the steps needed to ensure more Londoners can access roles in the UK's world-leading financial and professional services sectors, how firms in the City are making use of AI, as well as what businesses are hoping to see from next month's Budget.
Running order:
The role of the Lady Mayor of the City of London (1:44)
Team UK: concept, objectives and results (2:57)
What can London learn from other capitals around the world? (8:03)
The City's asks for the upcoming Budget (12:41)
How the adoption of AI is reshaping financial and professional services (17:31)
Find out more about the Team UK initiative here. And listen to our recent podcasts on crime in the capital and the rise of AI on our website.
3 Aug 2026
Live: What will Andy Burnham's devolution revolution mean for cities and businesses? with Henri Murison of the Northern Powerhouse Partnership
Following the new Prime Minister's announcement of the "biggest transfer of power, funding and responsibility from Westminster in a generation", our latest podcast brings together BusinessLDN's Chief Executive John Dickie and Henri Murison, Chief Executive of the Northern Powerhouse Partnership and Chair of the Growing Together Alliance, to discuss what the Government's devolution revolution could mean for businesses.
The pair discuss what we can learn about Andy Burnham and his approach to governing from his time as Mayor of Greater Manchester, what impactful devolution looks like on the ground, how empowering cities can help drive local growth and investment, and much else besides.
This episode was recorded as a live discussion with members as the Government published its new devolution proposals. Read our expert guide to what the changes mean for London here.
Running order:
2:09 How Andy Burnham's time as Mayor has influenced his approach to governing and the development of 'Manchesterism'
21:47 What could delivery of the Government's devolution plans mean in practice?
30:35 The role of devolution in driving growth
34:05 What part can business improvement districts (BIDs) play in the devolution revolution?
38:08 Assessing Greater Manchester as an exemplar of good devolution
43:19 How can businesses engage with the new No 10 North?
44:31 The critical role of public-private collaboration in driving local growth
Subscribe to receive future episodes of What Next for London? on Apple and Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/4TfJDRuNw7DYHHFnrb0i6R).
Follow us on X at @_businessLDN (https://x.com/_BusinessLDN) and on LinkedIn at BusinessLDN. Music is provided by Coma-Media.
Who has been a guest on What Next For London?
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Ian McDermott
Ian Cottingham
Steven Mitchell
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