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 [...]
How Labour will transform politics – and public services – by devolving more powers to London September 22, 2014 ANYONE who campaigned in the Scottish referendum felt the strength of anger directed towards Westminster. And it’s not confined to Scotland. The same anger is felt in London, Manchester and across England, Wales and Northern Ireland. People feel Westminster and Whitehall are completely out of touch with their lives. This is no surprise. Britain is [...]
In pictures: Ed Balls involved in bloodbath at MP charity game September 21, 2014 This week, the political excitement has migrated south from Scotland to Manchester, where Labour has started its annual party conference. What better way to kick things off (literally) than with the now infamous MPs versus lobby hacks footie match? And it was a goodie. MPs including Ed Balls, Sadiq Khan and Andy Burnham donned their [...]
Any Scots want to see Ed Balls in shorts? Vote No to independence on Thursday September 15, 2014 One further casualty of a potential Scottish Yes vote can now be revealed – the annual appearance of Ed Balls struggling to come to terms with a tight-fitting football shirt. Yes, Sunday’s match between the gentlemen of the press and Labour MPs at the party conference in Manchester is likely to be cancelled by a [...]
Outsider David Lammy seeks first-mover advantage in London Mayor bid September 4, 2014 Labour MP David Lammy has made an early bid for his party’s nomination to be the next London Mayor. The Tottenham MP threw his hat into the ring yesterday morning, nearly a year to the day since he first announced he was considering running for the coveted London role. “I spent a long [...]