The battle to be the next Mayor of London has already begun Opinion While Sadiq Khan mulls his future James Cleverly and Reform’s Laila Cunningham are vying for votes in a traditionally Labour city, says Eliot Wilson When politicians often congratulate themselves on surviving until the weekend, voters can be forgiven for losing our long-term perspective. The next election for the Mayor of London will take place on [...]
Sir James Cleverly: London needs its mojo back London Council takeovers in Westminster and Wandsworth have offered the Tories a new confidence boost in London. Sir James Cleverly, once close to becoming party leader, speaks to Maurício Alencar about his ambition to lead the Conservatives into the next London mayoral election in 2028. Unprompted, Sir James Cleverly insists it’s “nonsense” that London is a [...]
If Conservatives can win in Enfield then James Cleverly can be Mayor of London Opinion Conservatives have long been told that London is write-off, but victory in Enfield has proved naysayers wrong. Now we must throw ourselves behind James Cleverly for Mayor, says Alessandro Georgiou Labour had run Enfield for 16 years when voters went to the polls on 7 May. By the end of the next day’s count, we [...]
Reform’s London mayor pick: I want to design London like an iPhone September 16, 2026 Londoners are steadily finding out who will be on the ballot sheet for the next mayoral election in 2028. Mauricio Alencar spoke to Reform UK’s candidate Laila Cunningham about her tunnel-vision approach to getting things done. Laila Cunningham has a simple pitch to Londoners. While, for the moment, it looks like Labour and the Tories [...]
How can a politician run London if they’ve never run a business? September 11, 2026 Our politicians all agree on the need for economic growth, yet none of them seems to have even worked in the private sector let alone actually run a business. Should we be surprised that growth continues to elude us, asks Alex Challoner. What do a dance producer, a lecturer in social psychology, a footballer, an [...]
‘Vertical drinking’ row rumbles on in Westminster September 8, 2026 Sadiq Khan has hit out at the “breathtaking arrogance” of Westminster council, accusing the authority of ignoring public and industry opposition to its reported plans to crack down on so-called vertical drinking in the borough. The mayor of London has slammed the council for pushing ahead with its new licensing policy, which also imposes restrictions [...]
Give London power to level up the rest of the country August 6, 2026 If Andy Burnham is to make a success of his devolution agenda he must give London more powers and money to invest in the main drivers of the whole country’s international competitiveness, says Patrick Diamond The new prime minister, Andy Burnham, has put devolution and economic growth at the heart of his government’s narrative. London [...]
No air conditioning on the Tube? Blame Sadiq Khan July 9, 2026 You could be riding in new, air conditioned trains on the Piccadilly Line and DLR but City Hall has botched their introduction. James Ford is getting hot under the collar... Do you find the tube to be oppressively hot in the summer and unbearable in a heatwave? Ever found yourself sweating on the Central Line? [...]
Is housebuilding in London impossible? May 25, 2026 After its 900-home development in Peckham was blocked, housebuilder Berkeley said it can “no longer invest” in London. Felix Armstrong asks whether development in the capital really has hit a brick wall At the Aylesham Centre in Peckham, south London, shoppers are met with graffitied walls, peeling paint and shuttered retail units. The site began [...]
Kemi Badenoch interview: ‘I want an economic revolution’ May 5, 2026 Kemi Badenoch has told City AM she wants to deliver “an economic revolution” in the UK, based on lower taxes, less government intervention and “a mindset shift” that puts businesses and the City at the heart of the growth agenda. Speaking ahead of this week’s local elections, the Tory leader says she is developing policies [...]