STREET FIGHTING

By my reckoning, there’s been 12 opinion polls on the London Mayoral race since last June, the most recent of which was published just the other day. With a few weeks to go until election day, there’s still time for a few more.

ASSEMBLY POINT

The race for Mayor dominates the coverage of the coming election – so much so, you might not even realise that Londoners will also choose the 25 members of the London Assembly on the same day.

WHERE'S THE GRAND LONDON EXPRESS?

Yesterday’s commitment by Sadiq Khan to extend the Superloop bus network from Lewisham to Elephant & Castle hasn’t been universally welcomed. And a good chunk of the criticism is directed at what they perceive as a paucity of ambition, seeing a bus route as a poor substitute for the Bakerloo Line extension (BLE), whose route it mirrors.

BIG, BAD LONDON

The last few days has seen two key political milestones come and go. Yesterday was the last opportunity for the Prime Minister to call a General Election on 2 May. Yet there was no sign of the famed lectern appearing outside 10 Downing Street. That noise you can hear is the giant sigh of relief from London Elects, no longer losing sleep over having to count General Election, Mayoral and London Assembly votes at the same time.

AND THEY'RE OFF

The last few days saw the starting pistol fired on the race for City Hall. After months of unofficial campaigning, the phoney war is now behind us, as the formal campaign period begins. Already, two of the candidates have launched their campaigns – expect the others to follow suit in the coming days. As we cover in today’s LDN, policy promises are coming thick and fast. The manifestos themselves won’t be far away.

FEVER PITCH

With Londoners going to the polls seven weeks tomorrow to elect a Mayor and 25 Assembly Members, we’re really entering the business end of the campaign. Next Tuesday, the formal pre-election period starts.

TURNING DOWN THE POLITICAL TEMPERATURE

As an unashamed politics geek who has spent much of his working life in and around politicians, these past few weeks have been dispiriting. Being personally close to some of those involved, I’ll be restrained in what I write, but neither of the main parties fare well out of recent events.

TAXING TIMES

As LDN goes to press, we are digesting the Budget and the headline announcements. Fuelled by Diet Coke, it’s enough to give even those with the best constitution a dose of indigestion.

NOT FOR TURNING

One of the fascinating aspects of the last decade is that despite politicians repeatedly assuring voters they’re the ones to provide stability, the country has experienced perhaps the most turbulent chapter in living memory. Brexit, five Prime Ministers in seven years, three General Elections in nine years is to most people – whatever their politics – quite the antithesis to stable.

BUILDING WITH LOVE

The Secretary of State’s approval this week of plans for the redevelopment of the former ITV Studios on the South Bank is the latest in a string of interventions by the Government in London’s built environment.

THE SOUTH BANK SHOW

The Secretary of State’s approval this week of plans for the redevelopment of the former ITV Studios on the South Bank is the latest in a string of interventions by the Government in London’s built environment.

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