Capital conditions
Weather in central London
Loading live conditions…
Council & Politics
City Hall, borough councils, the Mayor and London democracy.
319 stories · page 6 of 17
Council & Politics · IslingtonIslington Council denies suppressing nursery closure news
Islington Council has denied accusations it withheld news of the Paradise Park Children's Centre nursery closure until after the May local elections. The nursery shut on 22 July 2026 after its operator surrendered its contract. A judicial review of the closure was dismissed by the High Court.
Islington4 min readTrust 66 · Craft 87 · Hype 30
Council & Politics · HackneyHackney Pensions Committee to Review Investment Strategy
Hackney's pensions committee has agreed to review the council's responsible investment strategy and develop future exclusion criteria. This follows a pledge by the Green party to divest the council's pension fund from companies allegedly supporting genocide.
Hackney4 min readTrust 60 · Craft 70 · Hype 40
Council & Politics · LondonEnfield Council Considers Closing Three Schools
Enfield Council is reviewing the future of three schools due to declining enrollment. Bishop Stopford’s School, Suffolks Primary School, and Starks Field Primary School are under consideration for closure, with a decision on public consultation expected soon.
London3 min readTrust 56 · Craft 95 · Hype 12
Council & Politics · Kensington & ChelseaKensington and Chelsea Council referred for corporate manslaughter charges
Kensington and Chelsea Council has been referred to the Crown Prosecution Service for corporate manslaughter over the Grenfell Tower fire. The referral includes 20 companies and 54 individuals. A decision on charges is expected before June 2026.
Kensington & Chelsea3 min readTrust 56 · Craft 80 · Hype 30
Council & Politics · Kensington & ChelseaGrenfell Tower fire evidence passed to prosecutors
The Metropolitan Police have sent evidence files concerning 20 organisations and 54 individuals to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) as part of the Grenfell Tower fire investigation. Potential charges include corporate manslaughter and health and safety offences. The CPS anticipates making charging decisions before the 10th anniversary of the disaster in June 2027.
Kensington & Chelsea4 min readTrust 70 · Craft 74 · Hype 45
Council & Politics · BarnetBarnet Council depot workers near strike over holiday pay
Barnet Council depot workers are closer to industrial action over holiday pay back payments after rejecting a second offer from the council. Unison Barnet has set a deadline of October 9 for a better proposal.
Barnet4 min readTrust 70 · Craft 75 · Hype 30
Council & Politics · LondonFacial recognition trial cost £320,000, scanned half a million faces
A six-month trial of live facial recognition technology in London's railway stations cost over £320,000 and scanned more than half a million faces. The trial resulted in one false match and no arrests directly from alerts, though associated arrests were made.
London4 min readTrust 70 · Craft 75 · Hype 45
Council & Politics · HackneyHackney residents face higher care bills as council lifts cap
Hackney Council ended its £250‑a‑week adult social care cap on 7 September 2026. The change is expected to recover £150,000 annually for the authority, yet a self‑funding disabled resident says his monthly bill could rise from £1,000 to around £3,000. The council argues the move aligns with national rules.
Hackney3 min readTrust 74 · Craft 95 · Hype 35
Council & Politics · LondonEnfield Council parking fines net £11.5m
Enfield Council generated £11.5 million from parking tickets in the 2025/26 financial year, a 25% increase from the previous year. This rise followed the council's decision to double its parking warden numbers, deploying up to 30 officers daily.
London3 min readTrust 60 · Craft 70 · Hype 45
Council & Politics · WestminsterOxford Street to close to traffic from October 2026
A 1km stretch of Oxford Street between Orchard Street and Great Portland Street will be closed to vehicle traffic from 26 October 2026. The Mayor of London announced the date, which has been met with criticism from Westminster City Council over access, pollution, and safety concerns.
Westminster3 min readTrust 64 · Craft 87 · Hype 35
Council & Politics · LondonPoll: Labour to hold 52 London seats, Greens win none
A new MRP survey by More in Common indicates Labour will retain 52 of its 59 parliamentary seats in London. The poll suggests the Green Party will not win any seats in the capital, while the Conservatives are projected to gain five.
London3 min readTrust 68 · Craft 79 · Hype 30
Council & Politics · City of LondonAlderman Masojada backed for 2026/27 Lord Mayoralty
Alderman Bronek Masojada will be supported by the Court of Aldermen for the 2026/27 Lord Mayoralty. This follows the withdrawal of Alderman Tim Hailes from consideration for the position. The election will proceed as scheduled.
City of London1 min readTrust 74 · Craft 60 · Hype 10
Council & Politics · LondonLondon Stadium seeks 24 concerts a year as council member urges sale to West Ham
London Stadium LLP, owned by the GLA, has asked Newham Council to lift its limit on concerts from ten to twenty‑four a year. Assembly member Bassam Mahfouz has called on Mayor Sadiq Khan to sell the venue to West Ham United, citing a £19 million annual deficit and a £2.5 million rent arrangement that he says harms the public purse.
London4 min readTrust 74 · Craft 95 · Hype 18
Council & Politics · All LondonHillingdon Council reconsiders rent hikes after shop owner protest
Hillingdon Council is reconsidering plans to increase shop rents by over 100 percent following a protest by local business owners. While the council will consider not backdating rent increases, shop owners walked out of a meeting expressing dissatisfaction.
All London4 min readTrust 74 · Craft 95 · Hype 30
Council & Politics · LondonMet Police face data training deadline after privacy failures
Up to 70 per cent of Metropolitan Police officers have not completed mandatory data protection training. The Information Commissioner's Office has issued an enforcement notice requiring improvements within three months, following several data disclosure incidents.
London3 min readTrust 68 · Craft 95 · Hype 48
Council & Politics · HackneyHackney Greens accused of hypocrisy over 'convener' role
Hackney Labour councillor Ben Lucas has accused the Green Party of hypocrisy over the appointment of a 'convener', a role he says is functionally a party whip. The Green Party had previously campaigned on not having such a system.
Hackney3 min readTrust 60 · Craft 75 · Hype 40
Council & Politics · LondonPaedophile jailed after being bailed to flat overlooking playground
Zafer Dogan has been jailed for two years and four months after being convicted of taking thousands of AI-altered nude images of women and children. He was bailed to a flat overlooking a children's playground in Enfield, a decision criticised by victims' advocates and the Metropolitan Police Commissioner.
London3 min readTrust 70 · Craft 76 · Hype 45
Council & Politics · LambethSt James Group fined £1 million and Lindner Prater £300,000 after Vauxhall window death
A property developer and a façade contractor were fined a total of £1.3 million after a 130 kg window fell from The Corniche in Vauxhall, killing coach driver Mick Ferris in 2018. The court criticised their risk‑assessment processes and ordered each to cover £125,000 in costs.
Lambeth4 min readTrust 86 · Craft 87 · Hype 30
Council & Politics · LondonCivic Campus granted 3am licence for music and alcohol
Hammersmith and Fulham Council has granted a premises licence allowing music, film, and alcohol sales until 3am daily at its Civic Campus Building. Outdoor areas will close at 11pm. Resident Una-Jane Winfield objected to the late hours, calling them excessive for the King Street area.
London3 min readTrust 64 · Craft 95 · Hype 35
Council & Politics · LondonMayor rejects bus driver rights bill
The Mayor of London has rejected a proposed Bill of Rights for bus drivers, opting instead for an evolving approach to working conditions. While agreeing to install toilets on all routes and air conditioning in cabins by May 2027, he refused to enshrine all 12 demands in operator contracts.
London3 min readTrust 60 · Craft 70 · Hype 40