‘Politically toxic’ holiday tax could turn voters against Labour, hospitality leaders warn May 4, 2026 The “politically toxic” holiday tax could turn hordes of voters against Labour if it is pushed through, hospitality leaders have warned the government. The proposed tax could threaten the fragile majorities of a host of Labour big beasts including health secretary Wes Streeting and foreign secretary Yvette Cooper, trade body UK Hospitality (UKH) has claimed. [...]
I’m a Tory – here’s why I’m voting Labour in the local elections April 30, 2026 In a time of messy, multi-party politics, tactical voting is likely to define contests in next week’s local elections. Alys Denby is not prepared to let the Green Party take control of her bin collection I’m about to do something against which all my instincts recoil, something so shameful I hesitate to admit in this [...]
What to look out for in London’s local elections April 30, 2026 With more parties and more candidates than ever before, next week’s local elections across London are the most unpredictable for a generation, argues James Ford On 7 May, Londoners go to the polls to elect the councillors that will run the capital’s 32 borough councils. More than 1,800 council seats are up for election, alongside [...]
Airport warning over ‘full’ Heathrow as transfer traffic takes off on Iran war April 29, 2026 London’s main gateway to the world and the UK’s busiest airport issued a forthright warning over its capacity on Wednesday, as war in the Middle East meant demand for flight transfers took off. “Heathrow is full”, said its chief financial officer, Sally Ding. She spoke out alongside the release of first-quarter numbers which revealed 18.9m [...]
Sadiq Khan’s ideological aversion to profit is blocking London housebuilding April 29, 2026 Just as measures to stimulate the housebuilding sector are being warmly received, Sadiq Khan is undermining efforts with talk of rent caps, writes Andrew Teacher.
‘National scandal’: Record-high shoplifting driven by repeat offenders April 26, 2026 Shoplifting has been branded a “national scandal” as incidents reach a record high, fuelled by a growing number of repeat offenders. More than 500,000 shoplifting offenses were recorded last year, according to official figures released in response to a parliamentary question by former Conservative Party leader Iain Duncan Smith. Fears around the worsening state of [...]
Lord Khan of Tooting? Sounds like a great idea to me! April 23, 2026 It is time that our failing Mayor moved on to challenges new, argues James Ford Our illustrious Prime Minister is rumoured to be considering raising the Mayor of London to the House of Lords, possibly as soon as next month. There may even be a seat around the Cabinet Table in the offing too. I, [...]
Hows Trump’s war in Iran is hitting hospitality April 22, 2026 The hospitality sector has already been hammered by taxes, regulation and minimum wage hikes. Now Trump’s war in Iran is hitting everyone’s discretionary spending, says Sacha Lord I’ve written so much about how Hospitality, not just in London, but across the whole of the UK is suffering right now. I’ve been scathing towards the Chancellor, [...]
Drivers are greedy and lazy, but Sadiq Khan is also to blame for Tube strikes April 21, 2026 Who can blame Tube drivers for demanding more money for less work when Sadiq Khan has proved he’ll always cave to their demands, says Alys Denby If you’re reading this on an agonising commute, perhaps having queued for hours to cram yourself between strangers’ armpits, you don’t need to be told how disruptive Tube strikes [...]
London set for £12m boost as host of Tour de France Femmes team time trial April 20, 2026 London is set for a £12m boost when the Tour de France Femmes heads to the capital for the grand tour’s first ever team time trial in 2027. Both the men’s and women’s Grands Depart will take place in the UK in July and August next year, but only the women’s peloton will ride around [...]