By: James Ford

James Ford is a former adviser to Mayor of London Boris Johnson, specialising in transport, environment and technology policy. He subsequently advised several blue-chip companies in the capital including London City Airport, the Ministry of Sound and the London Chamber of Commerce & Industry. He has appeared on LBC and writes regularly for Conservative Home.

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Which is the smelliest Tube line?

Opinion

Nobody would say the Tube is the freshest part of our transport network. But which line stinks the most? James Ford has the answer.
Is it ever ok to wear shorts to the office?

Opinion

During a long, hot summer in the capital, an age- old debate has reared its head: should men ever wear shorts to the office? James Ford explains why it is never, ever ok. No. It isn’t. Not even in a heatwave. End of. Full stop. At the risk of incurring my editor’s ire, I’m tempted [...]
Andy Burnham should show London he cares by funding this one transport project

Opinion

The ascendancy of the ‘King of the North’ has spooked London. James Ford outlines that this can easily be fixed by greenlighting the West London Orbital Railway London is anxious. The new Prime Minister is not just something of an unknown quantity, but – worse still – he is (whisper it quietly) Northern. Now, we’ve [...]

In praise of Count Binface

July 15, 2026

By standing in the impending by-election in Clacton, Count Binface has more than proved his worth to both comedy and democracy, says James Ford I must confess to having a conflicted attitude to Count Binface. On the one hand, the former political adviser within me (who is, of course, a profound political snob) tends to [...]
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? [...]
Why English literature graduates shouldn’t be Prime Minister

June 30, 2026

Andy Burnham is set to be the first ever English Literature graduate to serve as Prime Minister. James Ford is very concerned I have a problem with Andy Burnham. It isn’t his litany of U-turns and policy flip flops. It isn’t that he wears a t-shirt with a suit (a bad look on anyone, but [...]
Is ‘Stop Reform’ now the most powerful force in UK politics?

June 25, 2026

They may be dominating all the opinion polls, but have Reform hit a wall? James Ford considers if the party has peaked. Something is going very badly wrong for Reform UK. They are supposed to be the next big thing. The coming men. The heirs apparent. The real opposition. Yet, while they still top every [...]
Why are so many people abandoning sex toys on the Tube?

June 11, 2026

Last year the number of bedroom gadgets found on the transport network increased by 30 per cent. James Ford has some questions… There is a moment every year that I look forward to. Not, perhaps, as much as Christmas….but it’s close. It is, of course, the moment when some bored journalist at the Evening Standard [...]
Soho killjoys are the worst kind of Londoners

June 4, 2026

The Soho Society has declared a Nimby campaign against all new licensing applications. If they don’t want to live in the party centre of London they should leave, says James Ford What is the collective noun for a bunch of party poopers? A kennel of killjoys? A complaint of curmudgeons, perhaps? Well, if left to [...]
A good deal on the London Stadium was never an option

May 28, 2026

In securing a future for the London Stadium, the choice was never a great deal versus a bad deal, but between any deal or no deal at all.

Hammersmith Bridge is a test for Burnham’s place-based growth

Premier League: US owners dominate over half of 20 clubs

Meet the Destrier, Bugatti’s most extreme one-off yet

By: James Ford

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