The mayor of London sells the city in Cannes

It's pretty impressive, said Khan. Ive had meetings with investors from Japan, Belgium, Canada, America, France, Far East, the Middle East. It is stimulating and exciting. But the great thing for me is, in fact, I received an offer.

Paulaner beer before the Noon attracts thirsty delegates to the Munich Pavilion

Andy Silvester for time

This offer is presented in the Hes Hawking investment prospectus around the conference: 20 projects, from the redevelopment of rue Liverpool to the extension of the Bakerloo line. But for Khan, it is also on the new British political landscape.

He says: The game changer is alignment with the national government, the regional government. Because it is an international conference, you can really say without countries and cities planning others [places] When there is a disconnection between the mayor of the capital and the national government compared to our country.

This is the last point which becomes the determining theme of Khans' third term at the Town Hall or at least the theme that Hed likes to concentrate. His argument to investors of this red-toothpick and claw festival is clear: with the same political party in power in the capital and at the national level, London can offer stability and certainty in a world that is sorely lacking in both.

Who buys the properties of Londons? Americans and bros of Indian technology

Of course, and the return on investment. Outside the conference room, the French demonstrators spent a large part of the day shouting a blue murder with the delegates to drink 15 Sprizes Aperol, deploring the impact of industries on everything, from the prices of housing to the homeless. Khans' criticisms could expect it to be outside with them, rather than inside the secure area.

Khan meets Patrick Ollier, the mayor of Rueil-Malmaison, a rich suburb of western Paris

Andy Silvester for time

Yachts line the marina outside

Andy Silvester for time

He says: In the real world, you must understand that there is nothing wrong with profit. I managed a business [a law firm] for 11 years. Im pro-growth, but what has always been clear is that there are certain rules of the game in London.

It is the prospectus. We want growth to be green, sustainable, inclusive. But we should not be nervous about rates of return. If you are an investor, you do not want to know unreasonably over the next ten years what will be your return rates. How long can I start recovering something?

But what I try to tell investors is that it is even more exciting than the rate of return, you can be part of something really special in terms of future Londons.

Images Valery Hache / AFP / Getty

It is impossible to see Khan walk in the corridors here without thinking of his predecessor, Boris Johnson, who has produced sex events such as Mipim the decisive parts of his mayor. Regular delegates remember the irrepressible, so non -focused, energy of Johnson. Khan clearly bristles the idea that the approach of heavy Johnsons and detailed light was better than his.

Boris Johnson's sale argument was: everything takes place in London. And, frankly, he could sell snake oil, Khan Bite. IM A type of different human being and I come with an offer. I can give examples to serious investors on the coming to London.

He hopes, he said, to come back next year with a similar message.

Girl girl

Khan certainly cannot be accused of getting rid of his responsibility as Londons chief, lawyer here. His Tuesday begins early, with a breakfast of investors with the largest pension in the world and the sovereign funds, of Abu Dhabi and Dubai to the pension funds influenced only by teachers from Ontario and Texas.

Then, he went to a chaotic ribbon cup, standing alongside the French Minister of Housing, Valrie Ltard, and a crowd of other dignitaries. From there, he binds to open the London pavilion with a speech of coil on the capital Investment Prospects, which ends with Khan leading the crowd in a noisy cry, but slightly worthy of the worthy of the worthy of London.

Buyers of the Middle East make a wave of ownership of London

Khan is part of the ribbon cup

Andy Silvester for time

Andy Silvester for time

From there is another lunch, another speech, with more investors. The message is the same: huge feedback in a greener and growing city.

His attendance attracted a crowd of other dignitaries who would have failed in jamboree. And, thanks to his well -published battles with President Trump, Khan has a surprisingly global profile and he is regularly arrested for selfies.

Shravan Joshi, head of the London city planning committee, says: there is certainly a buzz. Being here definitely helps.

Others agree: a delegate tells me that they hope that it is the beginning of a more constructive dialogue with a real estate industry that has not always seen eyes with the man of the town hall. Khan promises to unlock blockages when developers have problems with local authorities.

Within the succession model, the plans for eco-homes governments

Warm words are not enough, of course, to persuade all Khans' development references. Gruming in the London Pavilion focuses on the viability of housing projects, a SPEED ownership to find out if the developers can earn enough money from everything they build to hurt it. Construction costs have increased in recent years and higher interest rates have considerably increased the cost of capital, the lubricant of the real estate industry.

Although Khan cannot do much, affordable housing objectives and new regulatory obligations on construction standards, according to developers, have made construction more difficult. Khan thinks that the conversations he had had here in Cannes should help rest some of these problems.

Trump Loss is Khans' gain

And perhaps more important than the joyful in the south of France are the geopolitical winds which appear more and more as if they could blow in favor of Londons. Khan spent a large part of his first mandate talking about Brexit and a large part of the second to speak of Covid-19. With the election of his former Trump combat partner on the other side of the Atlantic, Khan feels that his third term could be defined by the opportunity.

The American pavilion buried in the bowels of the Grand Palais rather than on the more desirable seafront looked like a ghost town for a large part of the day. The delegates were united to pin the blame for the unpredictability of the new man to the White House. Khan is more diplomatic.

He says: I was really excited by the appetite to invest in London of people who so far thought of going to America.

It is no secret that we obtained a record number of Americans in London. A certain number of reasons why a great culture, great theaters, live music, galleries, museums, a great quality of life in London.

With the accent, he adds: and our values ​​are a big argument of sale.

There are challenges in America. And it is, for me, an opportunity for London. I do not resolve to use someone Elsses Challenge as an opportunity for London.