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Council & Politics
City Hall, borough councils, the Mayor and London democracy.
183 stories · page 4 of 10
Council & Politics · BarnetGrenfell-linked boss appointed to senior role at Barnet Group
Laura Johnson, who faced criticism for her role during the Grenfell Tower fire, has been appointed group director of development and property at The Barnet Group. The council stated she was appointed on merit after a robust recruitment process for the publicly advertised role.
Barnet3 min readTrust 70 · Craft 75 · Hype 45
Council & Politics · LondonPoll: Labour leads, Reform UK second in 2028 mayoral race
A new poll for the 2028 London mayoral election places Labour in the lead with 33% support. Reform UK's candidate, Laila Cunningham, is shown in second place with 20% support, potentially challenging Labour in the final run-off.
London3 min readTrust 74 · Craft 87 · Hype 70
Council & Politics · NewhamBoy, 5, died after falling from 15th-floor window
A five-year-old boy died after falling from a 15th-floor window in Plaistow. The assistant coroner concluded there was no basis for a report to prevent future deaths, despite concerns raised about the window's safety.
Newham4 min readTrust 74 · Craft 87 · Hype 35
Council & Politics · LondonKhan pledges £875k to fight extremism amid hate crime rise
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has announced an additional £875,000 to combat extremism across the capital. This funding comes as London records significant increases in antisemitic and anti-Muslim hate crimes, with police noting a rise in young people involved in counter-terrorism cases.
London3 min readTrust 60 · Craft 68 · Hype 41
Council & Politics · BarnetBan L-plate motorcyclists from commercial deliveries, says London Assembly
London Assembly member Thomas Turrell has called for a ban on motorcyclists with provisional licences undertaking commercial deliveries across the capital. He argues current training is insufficient for professional use, a view shared by the Mayor of London.
Barnet4 min readTrust 70 · Craft 70 · Hype 40
Council & Politics · LondonLithium battery fires cost UK recycling £1bn annually
Over 1,500 fires occurred at UK recycling centres in the year to March 2026, with lithium-ion batteries linked to over a third of them. The escalating problem is costing the UK economy an estimated £1 billion annually.
London3 min readTrust 74 · Craft 95 · Hype 35
Council & Politics · LondonLondon Assembly backs ban on learner drivers for delivery work
The London Assembly has passed a motion urging the government to ban the use of provisional licences for commercial delivery work. The move aims to improve road safety by ensuring delivery riders hold full driving qualifications.
London3 min readTrust 70 · Craft 74 · Hype 45
Council & Politics · WandsworthWandsworth Council ordered to pay £500 for homelessness application mishandling
Wandsworth Council must pay a mother £500 for mishandling her homelessness application, the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman has ruled. The council withdrew two temporary accommodation offers before eventually housing the resident.
Wandsworth3 min readTrust 74 · Craft 95 · Hype 15
Council & Politics · LondonCity Hall housing targets criticised for favouring flats over family homes
London's housing targets are encouraging developers to build too many small flats instead of the family-sized homes the capital needs, according to a report by Conservative Assembly Member Andrew Boff. The current focus on unit numbers may be forcing families to leave the city.
London3 min readTrust 68 · Craft 95 · Hype 35
Council & Politics · LondonHarrow Council to pay £800 over child's lost school place
Harrow Council must pay £800 and apologise after failing to secure a school place for a child, referred to as Y, for September 2024. The Local Government Ombudsman found the council delayed arranging suitable education and missed legal deadlines for amending an Education, Health and Care Plan.
London4 min readTrust 62 · Craft 87 · Hype 15
Council & Politics · HackneyHackney Council to face new legal duty on tenant home cooling
Hackney Council will soon have a legal obligation to ensure its tenants' homes are kept cool, as part of an extension to Awaab's Law. The new regulations, expected by the end of 2026, aim to address the growing risk of overheating in London properties.
Hackney4 min readTrust 68 · Craft 95 · Hype 30
Council & Politics · SouthwarkSouthwark Council toughens landlord enforcement policy
Southwark Council has updated its Private Sector Housing Enforcement Policy to introduce stricter sanctions for landlords failing to meet housing standards. The move, driven by the Renters Rights Act 2025, aims to protect the borough's 86,500 private renters.
Southwark3 min readTrust 80 · Craft 80 · Hype 50
Council & Politics · BrentHarlesden to decide £20m spending over next decade under new board
Harlesden will receive £20 million from the government’s Pride in Place programme, with local resident Sandra White chairing the board deciding how the funds are spent over ten years. The investment aims to address inequalities through community-led projects, including housing, transport and high street improvements.
Brent5 min readTrust 58 · Craft 80 · Hype 30
Council & Politics · London£168.3m pledged to house London rough sleepers by Christmas
Prime Minister Andy Burnham has pledged £168.3 million to reduce rough sleeping in London by Christmas, with Barnet-based charity Homeless Action in Barnet allocated £330,997. The funding aims to provide emergency accommodation and support services, though no fixed duration for housing offers has been set.
London5 min readTrust 58 · Craft 72 · Hype 30
Council & Politics · CroydonCroydon Council ordered to repay £75,000 after wrongly charging care fees
Croydon Council must repay £75,000 in care fees wrongly charged to a resident detained under the Mental Health Act. The Local Government Ombudsman ruled the council failed to apply Section 117 aftercare rules, forcing the family to sell her home before her death in April 2025.
Croydon5 min readTrust 74 · Craft 95 · Hype 30
Council & Politics · BarnetBarnet Council to review council tax and bin collections to close £200m gap
Barnet Council plans to increase council tax and reduce bin collection frequency to address a £200 million structural deficit. A report by Cipfa recommends reviewing the historically low Band D rate of £2,060, while the council aims to close the gap by March 2029 through savings and efficiencies.
Barnet5 min readTrust 74 · Craft 68 · Hype 35
Council & Politics · LondonNew Spitalfields Market installs London’s largest rooftop solar array
New Spitalfields Market in Walthamstow has completed London’s largest rooftop solar installation, a 1.4 MWp array expected to generate 1.27 GWh of electricity yearly. The £1 million project, managed by the City of London Corporation, aims to reduce grid reliance and support its 2027 net-zero target.
London4 min readTrust 56 · Craft 72 · Hype 28
Council & Politics · LondonEnfield Council spends £570,000 on parks and play areas across the borough
Enfield Council has approved £570,000 of improvements to public spaces, including a £75,000 refurbishment of a play area in New Southgate and £25,000 for fencing at Provident Park in Edmonton Green. The funding comes from a £1.5 million Pride in Place grant awarded in September 2025.
London4 min readTrust 74 · Craft 85 · Hype 12
Council & Politics · WestminsterMistress of Mayfair loses licence after throat-slashing attack in St James's Street
Westminster City Council has suspended the licence of the Mistress of Mayfair after a man's throat was slashed in an attack on 10 August. The Met Police reported failures in ID scanning and security, leading to the temporary closure of the St James's Street venue pending a full review.
Westminster4 min readTrust 74 · Craft 80 · Hype 35
Council & Politics · All LondonBarnet Council’s rejected High Barnet flats face faster approval under new planning rules
Barnet Council’s December 2025 rejection of 283 flats at High Barnet Underground Station may now be harder to defend under new planning rules. Housing Secretary Angela Rayner’s policy requires councils to approve developments within a 10-minute walk of transport hubs unless strong evidence justifies refusal. The scheme was later approved by City Hall after a mayoral call-in.
All London5 min readTrust 74 · Craft 87 · Hype 30