It always come down to money. From Friday, the ability of London’s financial services industry to cope with a bird flu pandemi will be put to the test as money-oriented firms across The City (London’s financial district) check their metaphorical handkerchiefs and determine whether they are ready or not. So says a report just in from Reuters. In fact, Reuters refers to an “outbreak of a bird flu pandemic”. I’m not sure what that means, an outbreak of a pandemic…but you get the point.
The six-week desktop exercise will figure out whether Britain’s banks, insurers, stock exchange, traders and all the other suit-wearing types will be able to cope with the pandemic. It is important, of course, if a pandemic hits and no one can buy shares in the flu drug manufacturers there would be an immediate crisis. Probably best to stock up now, before they find there’s no way their braces not belt approach will be able to handle it.