国际英语资讯:Mixed reaction on London streets to British triggering Article 50_时事

国际英语资讯:Mixed reaction on London streets to British triggering Article 50

He added that he believed that London's status as a global financial hub would not be lost, but that it could change.

"We knew this was coming. I'm sure my job is safe, but I wish we hadn't done this. It will make it harder for sure for some businesses in my sector," he said.

Bank worker Louise Davies said she had voted for Brexit and was pleased it had now formally begun.

"The EU likes to tell us what to do, and I hope this ends that," she said.

Before the Brexit referendum on June 23 last year, experts had predicted that a vote to leave would hit the British economy.

Since June 23, the pound has fallen against foreign currencies, for example the U.S. dollar. It traded at 1.48 U.S. dollars on the night of the referendum and on Wednesday traded at 1.24 U.S. dollars.

This makes British exports cheaper but also makes raw materials and imports more expensive. This has been quickly felt in the economy with inflation now at 2.3 percent on the CPI measure, up from 0.6 percent before the vote.

But the hit to the economy that some experts predicted has not happened, and GDP growth has remained robust, with annualized growth since the June vote at 2.5 percent, which is above the long-term trend.

"We were told that leaving would be bad for the economy, but that hasn't happened," said Davies.

Outside a supermarket in Lewisham, a south London borough which voted strongly to remain in the EU and which has significant numbers of immigrants from inside the EU, the Commonwealth and from developing nations, there were supportive reactions to leaving.