然而，伦敦金融城在过去「失去的十年」中也面临著错失发展良机的困境。前欧盟专员乔纳森·希尔指出，英国过度专注于与欧盟的关系，而美国、中国和印度等大国已大幅前进；此外，英国频繁的首相更迭和不具吸引力的税收环境也阻碍了潜在的投资与交易。
为了挽回劣势并释放脱欧红利，英国政府正加速推动放宽奖金等待期和简化IPO流程等改革。不过，许多金融界高层担心，国内外的政治与经济压力可能会分散领导人对金融业的关注，而此时欧盟也正在积极推进自身改革以提振其金融产业。
Although there were fears of a massive exodus of talent and jobs from the City of London after the 2016 Brexit referendum, official data shows that finance and insurance jobs in London increased by 18.7% to about 464,000 over the decade, and the UK remains the top European destination for foreign direct investment in the financial sector.
However, the City of London has also faced the consequences of missed opportunities during a "lost decade." Former European Commissioner Jonathan Hill noted that the UK was trapped for ten years focusing on its relationship with the EU while the US, China, and India moved forward, and political instability combined with an unattractive tax environment discouraged potential investments.
To counter this drift and unlock Brexit dividends, the UK government is accelerating reforms, including relaxing rules on bonus waiting periods and IPO paperwork. Nevertheless, senior City figures worry that domestic and international pressures might distract leaders from supporting the financial sector, just as the EU pushes forward with its own competitive reforms.