From the Revd Dr Martin Dudley
Sir, - The Revd Dr William Campbell-Taylor is misguided when he
claims that the City of London is a tax haven with "demonic"
elements ("Vicar lends the City a hand",
12 July).
As a former elected member of the City's Common Council, he
should be aware of the good work that many in the City do to
support communities right across London. This includes his own
borough of Hackney, with whom the City of London Corporation has
developed strong ties in order to help provide educational,
training, and employment opportunities to help local people.
Many professionals in the Square Mile also give their own time
to support corporate social-responsibility programmes in
neighbouring boroughs that rightly recognise the interdependence of
the City, London, and the UK.
To suggest that the City is home to "shady dealings" that damage
the global economy is not just incredibly reductive, but wrong. Of
course, mistakes have been made, but the behaviour of an incredibly
small minority in finance - or indeed any industry - cannot be
taken as representative of the whole.
MARTIN DUDLEY
Chairman, Community and Children's Services Committee
City of London Corporation
Guildhall
London EC2V 7HH