London politics

London politics

In recent years some of London's busiest tourist hotspots have been calling out for measures to capitalise on visitors and make things better for local residents. One such thing proposed to raise vital funds for local authorities is a tourist levy, which has been considered by the likes of Mayor of London Sadiq Khan (back in 2024) and northwest London borough Brent.

ACV status can help save pubs and other spaces the community cares about. It gave Barnet Museum time to investigate purchasing Tudor Hall and do their due diligence. The government is currently legislating for a longer period for community groups to raise the funds to buy and assess the feasibility of purchasing, levelling the playing field with commercial businesses. If the Black Horse does become an ACV, that could be an option for us if the legislation is passed in time.

Ben LynchLocal Democracy Reporting Service LDRS A west London council has rejected an application to list Shepherd's Bush Market as an asset of community value (ACV). Earlier this year, Friends of Shepherd's Bush Market applied for ACV status in an effort to "protect" its future, after major redevelopment plans from developer Yoo Capital were approved. The group said ACV status would be the first step towards community ownership of the site, amid concerns that Yoo Capital intended on selling.

However, analysis of London's 80 victims since January 1, reveals 24 were killed as a result of domestic-related violence, compared to about 15 by November 11 last year. Campaigners described the Standard's findings as staggering and called for systemic changes to stop women falling through cracks in the system. Among the tragic death toll is 40-year-old Agne Druskienea, who was found stabbed to death at her home in Havering early on October 18.

Kensington and Chelsea council says it has seized 1,000 badly parked rental e-bikes so far this year. The action comes in response to complaints from residents who report the bikes as trip hazards and highway obstructions. Once reported, council staff remove the bikes from the streets and place them in storage. To have the bikes released, the providers are paying a one-off seizure fee, plus a daily storage fee if the bikes are not collected within 14 days.

The paper has dug into data from across all 32 London boroughs to determine which one really is the 'best'. It handed out points across 37 different categories, which all came under one of four broader categories: great outdoors, good vibes, culture and activities and hospitality. Those more specific metrics included how much green space the area has, how many top-rated restaurants, hotels and music venues it has, and how many heritage sites it possesses.

Teekall and his wife are raising a family in Peckham, south London. He runs a successful business as a commercial designer with a studio just down the road, and she works in higher education. Their two boys attend the local primary school. However, the family has outgrown their one-and-a-half-bedroom flat. Although they would like to stay in Peckham, they can't afford to.

The Tory leader Kemi Badenoch has said the Chancellor's position is "extremely tenuous" as Rachel Reeves has spent months "floating punishing tax hikes on family homes" whilst she has been "profiting from illegally renting out her house."

The changes follow a series of hikes agreed by the council's Cabinet last year, which was the first time the charges had been raised since December 2017. At that meeting Conservative councillor Adronie Alford told the Labour Cabinet members while she had no problem with the increases per se she was concerned about residents receiving FPNs due to rubbish being left by refuse collectors.

A gentle and peaceful dog walker who was just trying to help has died and two people have been injured in a triple stabbing in west London. A 22-year-old Afghan national has been arrested on suspicion of murder as neighbours paid tribute to the victim, who they said was just doing the normal dog walk that he does every day.

The amount of bike storage that needs to be provided in new housing developments in London is to be watered down, it can be revealed. This will reduce the number of secure bike spaces that have to be provided and could also permit developers to make a financial contribution in lieu of building bike racks or allow them to be built some distance from the new homes. City Hall believes this is acceptable because of the rise in the number of Londoners hiring dockless e-bikes, such as those provided by Lime and Forest.

it is sad that such a large sum of money has been spent, though he added it is necessary because of the disastrous impact that we saw with the build-up of tents in the past.

Welput, a real estate fund managed by American investment firm BGO, saw its application to construct the tower close to Bevis Marks Synagogue turned down by the City of London Corporation (CLC) in December. The planned scheme involves the demolition of neighbouring Bury House on Bury Street. Opponents of the project include the UK's chief rabbi, Sir Ephraim Mirvis, and historians Sir Simon Schama, Tom Holland and Simon Sebag Montefiore. Welput has been approached for comment.

"This is union-busting, pure and simple. And Unite will never stand for it, Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said. "Management must end this treatment of our Unite reps, or it will face dealing with strike action that will disrupt services in East London. This is a dispute entirely of the employer's making."

The Metropolitan Police's newly appointed lead on phone theft says its work in tackling the crime has not been "good enough". Just over 1% of phone thefts in London result in a charge or conviction, according to the force's data, compared with 11% for robberies. London Assembly member Neil Garratt urged more to be done to tackle the issue of phone theft, which he compared to an "epidemic" in the city.

As well as the photo of the woman at the children's park, whose face was not shown though who PC Jacks had described as having the biggest fake boobs, they included references to a friend as a big fat poof, a commentary on other passengers during a journey home in which a woman is called an old slag and a post stating AIDS is a terrible thing. Especially Turkish AIDS.

Back in April, Newham Council got special permission to raise its council tax by 8.99 percent - nearly double the normal increase cap of 4.99 percent - in order to help it swerve bankruptcy. As Newham faces more 'difficult decisions' and a £53 million funding gap next year, a new report suggests that it could ask for permission to increase its council tax by the same amount again.

The officers have noted in their statement that they believe that because the Star of David was out and present to people, which may take either offence to the presence of it, they felt that was antagonising the situation, the detective says. I think that's, with respect, appalling and shows a complete ignorance on behalf of those officers, the lawyer responds.

Steve Reed, the housing secretary, and Sadiq Khan, the mayor of London, will announce the package within weeks, in what officials say will be a time-limited intervention designed to stall the sudden drop in new building in the capital. The plans, details of which are still being negotiated, have been welcomed by developers but condemned by homelessness charities who say it will increase the record numbers of people who are homeless in the UK.