London's City finance hub all geared up for possible Brexit

London

WITH one month to go before Britain's vital in-out EU referendum, London's City finance district is busily planning ahead for a potential "Brexit".

Big City firms, many of which are housed in skyscrapers that dominate the London skyline, are seeking to protect themselves from market volatility should Britons vote "Leave", observers say.

Major players like HSBC and Deutsche Bank have said they may need to shift activities abroad and the Bank of England (BOE) is boosting liquidity in the weeks around the June 23 referendum to avoid a credit crunch. But big banks, insurance giants, trading exchanges and accounting firms are mostly keeping mum on the full "toolbox" of contingency measures.

Anastasia Nesvetailova, economics professor at City University London, told AFP that big finance firms will be seeking haven assets, mulling over extra liquidity to ward off a cash crunch - as well as eyeing potential re-location and job cut…