Hi there,
I disagree with the statement that there aren't any high finance jobs outside of London.
Sure, London is the leading financial hub in Europe and most banks that have offices outside of London usually have their back office there, but that doesn't mean that there aren't any high power roles outside of London.
The answer will vary greatly depending on whether you are targeting roles within investment banking, sales & trading or asset management.
For investment banking you have for example GP Bullhound or Rothschild which have front office teams in Manchester and there are also boutiques which could be a good launching point like Camalex Corporate Finance in Liverpool.
For sales & trading the choice is limited if you are looking for "high finance" roles as most renowned trading floors are in London BUT you have very prestigious proprietary trading houses in Dublin like Susquehanna. These are great if you later want to move to a hedge fund or bank trading desk.
For asset management you have a LOT of choice outside of London with many big brands being located in Dublin, Aberdeen and Edinburgh.
I can't say for sure but I am fairly certain that it is indeed easier to get an interview outside of London because they have less applicants. It does not mean that they will necessarily go easy on you though :-)
I hope that answers your question.
Jonathan
Founder of IBMentor