London: our comatose capital

By: Elliot Keck, head of campaigns

Upon being sworn in for a third term as Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan pledged “to help make London the best city in the world to grow up in.” Why it wasn’t already so given his eight-years in office is a question for another time.

 

But what’s absolutely certain is that London is not the best city in the world to grow up in, even if it probably should be. It undoubtedly has the history, culture, architecture, attractions, restaurants and infrastructure, at least on face value. But fewer and fewer can afford to enjoy it. If there is any money left after the average rent of £2,121, the price of a pint is now well over £5, and in central London it’s regularly above £7. The tube network is unrivalled in the world, but how well does it really operate in practice? Crime is on the rise, and the police’s effectiveness is on the wane. Weekly hate marches dominate some of our finest streets.

 

Lots of cities are fun, but a bit dangerous or rough around the edges. Rio de Janeiro and Lisbon are prime examples. Many cities are ruinously expensive, but are pulsatingly alive, such as New York. Others are perhaps a bit dull, but are safe, polished and pleasant. Oslo and Reykjavik spring to mind. The occasional city has the best of all worlds, particularly down under.

 

But the brutal reality with London is that it ticks none of those boxes. It’s expensive, increasingly dangerous and let’s be frank, it’s now pretty dead. This has never been more true than in the last week. Whereas European cities came alive for the European finals, with huge outdoor screenings even in countries with no skin in the game, London was comatose. A large, manicured amphitheatre in Paddington has recently been renovated, and has a large screen facing the seats. Yet it didn’t show the Euros final, despite England’s place in it. Why? Out of respect to residents. 

 

But it’s worse than that. As the Metropolitan Police reminded the public on X, formerly Twitter, just hours before the game “Please remember there are no outdoor screens showing the #EURO2024 final in central London.” They even recommended that people “consider other options and remember to plan your journey home.” Frankly it’s a national embarrassment that in our capital city, in summer, it was impossible to watch the final at an outdoor venue.

 

This is the deliberate result of our various layers of government acting like spoilsports at the first hint of fun and merriment. A TaxPayers’ Alliance investigation from last week uncovered letters sent by London councils to venues within their areas warning them to ‘avoid irresponsible marketing or any drinks promotions’ and asking them to "place staff at the exits after the matches to encourage patrons to leave quietly."

 

A reminder that taxpayers pay hand over fist for these miserable pen-pushers, who see themselves as enforcers of the paternalistic nanny-state rather than as public servants trying to make this country a little bit better of a place to live in. 

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