Michael Bloomberg’s mayor of London bid played down by former New York deputy and colleague Howard Wolfson April 7, 2015 Will he or won’t he? That’s the question people are asking about Michael Bloomberg after suggestions he might be lining himself up to run as the Conservatives’ candidate for mayor of London. The whispers began after it was reported that friends of Bloomberg, founder of the financial news agency, were urging him to consider the [...]
Boris Johnson appoints new deputy Roger Evans as his return to parliament nears March 25, 2015 Boris Johnson appointed Roger Evans as statutory deputy mayor for London yesterday. He will stand in for Johnson on occasions when the Mayor himself cannot be present. Evans, will take up the new role on 13 May, shortly after Johnson is expected to been elected as an MP. There has been speculation about how Johnson [...]
London mayoral hopeful Sadiq Khan: No Labour landslide in 2015 General Election March 13, 2015 The widely tipped London mayoral candidate and MP for Tooting has said Labour became "arrogant" in office and didn't "spot early enough the need for additional housing". Khan, a close ally of Ed Miliband has been put in charge of heading off the growing popularity of the Green Party that Labour sees as a threat [...]
Bus strikes postponed: Scheduled walkouts for Friday 13th and Monday 16th February won’t take place February 11, 2015 Bus strikes that were expected to bring the capital to a halt over the next week have been postponed, bringing relief to thousands of commuters. Drivers striking over pay have postponed 24-hour walkouts which were scheduled to take place on Friday and Monday, Unite has said. The union representing the bus drivers will enter talks [...]
General Election 2015: The London battlegrounds that could hold the balance of power February 5, 2015 London could hold the balance of power in the upcoming General Election, with the major parties gearing up to target at least 11 of its tightest seats. Five London constituencies feature in Labour’s top 50 target seats – Hendon, Brent Central, Brentford & Isleworth, Croydon Central and Enfield North. The Conservatives are looking to take [...]
Margaret Hodge backs out of London Mayoral race to support “non-white” candidate February 4, 2015 The field of candidates to succeed Boris Johnson as Mayor of London has just been narrowed. Labour MP for Barking Margaret Hodge backed out of the race for her party's nomination. Instead, she has decided to throw her weight behind one of Labour's black and minority ethnic candidates. The influential chair of the Commons Public [...]
Balls hits back at Labour critics of mansion tax January 20, 2015 A ROW erupted in the Labour party yesterday over its key mansion tax proposal. The shadow chancellor Ed Balls insisted that “there’s a tried and tested way to do this. People will be able to get an independent evaluation, which HMRC will use….Of course it will work.” He was forced on to the defensive in [...]
Is Ed Balls right that Osborne has given up the political “centre ground” to the Labour party? January 4, 2015 Sadiq Khan MP is shadow justice secretary and London minister, says Yes. The “centre ground” is always held by the party that most accurately diagnoses the problems people face in their daily lives, and offers solutions that match their scale. In 2015, that party is Labour. The demands of the British people are clear. They [...]
William Hague outlines English votes for English laws: Here’s what you need to know December 16, 2014 William Hague has outlined proposals for English votes for English laws (EVEL). Speaking to the House of Commons, Hague revealed his party's plans to put an end to the so-called West Lothian question that has divided opinion across the UK for decades. Under the current system Scottish MPs have the right to vote on issues [...]
Tessa Jowell plans to run for London Mayor in 2016 as Labour candidate in fight to succeed Boris Johnson November 22, 2014 Veteran Labour MP and former cabinet minister Tessa Jowell has thrown her hat in the ring for the race to succeed Boris Johnson as London Mayor in 2016. The former culture secretary told the BBC she is "certainly planning to run" for mayor. However, she added that now "isn't time for a formal declaration". Jowell [...]