Capital conditions
Weather in central London
Loading live conditions…
Council & Politics
City Hall, borough councils, the Mayor and London democracy.
319 stories · page 8 of 17
Council & Politics · CroydonCroydon to pilot electronic tagging for prolific shoplifters
Croydon Council is set to pilot electronic tagging for prolific shoplifters later this year. The scheme, announced by Mayor Jason Perry, aims to address the significant number of repeat offenders impacting local businesses and the town centre.
Croydon4 min readTrust 70 · Craft 75 · Hype 45
Council & Politics · London33% of vape test purchases sold illegally as Trading Standards cuts staff
A Chartered Trading Standards Institute review found illegal vape sales in a third of 422 test purchases across London. Funding for the service has fallen 23% since 2010, and staff numbers are down 39%, raising concerns ahead of a new licensing regime.
London3 min readTrust 74 · Craft 87 · Hype 35
Council & Politics · CroydonCroydon Council’s voids stay empty longer, 417 homes still vacant
Croydon Council reported 417 empty council homes in Q1 2026/27, with the average void period increasing to 206 days. More than 8,300 applicants sit on the housing register and 3,269 households live in temporary accommodation, prompting criticism from residents and a new improvement plan from the council.
Croydon3 min readTrust 74 · Craft 95 · Hype 22
Council & Politics · LondonMerton Council proposes £500 fines for engine idling
Merton Council is considering introducing borough-wide Public Spaces Protection Orders that would ban engine idling and allow for fixed penalty notices of up to £500. The proposals also aim to tackle issues such as public use of laughing gas and e-scooter riding in parks.
London3 min readTrust 64 · Craft 87 · Hype 32
Council & Politics · LondonTrading‑standards cuts limit enforcement of new vape‑licensing scheme in London
BBC London reports that a 39% cut to trading‑standards funding and a 23% drop in regulatory services have weakened enforcement of the Tobacco and Vapes Act’s licensing scheme. Illegal vape sales were found in 33% of 422 test purchases by young people, raising concerns for residents.
London3 min readTrust 74 · Craft 87 · Hype 15
Council & Politics · LondonMayor's disability action plan leaves 1.2 million Londoners still facing barriers
The Mayor of London launched a Disability Action Plan on 14 September 2026, targeting 1.2 million Deaf and Disabled residents. While it promises improvements in transport, housing and safety, the Metropolitan Police recorded 2,245 disability‑hate incidents since 2022 and critics argue the plan falls short of needed ambition.
London4 min readTrust 74 · Craft 95 · Hype 30
Council & Politics · LondonGLA condemns Green‑led boroughs for refusing immigration raid cooperation
London Assembly members approved a motion denouncing six Green‑led boroughs for declining to help Home Office immigration raids. The councils, Lewisham, Hackney, Haringey, Lambeth, Southwark and Waltham Forest, have all adopted a non‑cooperation stance. The Home Office says arrests for illegal work rose 83% and raids grew 77% over the past year and a half.
London3 min readTrust 74 · Craft 95 · Hype 35
Council & Politics · LondonMinisters urged to act on US diplomat flown out over child abuse images
UK ministers are being urged to ensure a diplomat accused of possessing indecent images of children faces investigation in England after US authorities reportedly flew him out of the country without informing the Metropolitan Police.
London4 min readTrust 64 · Craft 81 · Hype 32
Council & Politics · LondonTfL faces criminal charge after pensioner killed at Walthamstow bus station
Transport for London has been charged by the Health and Safety Executive over alleged safety failures at Walthamstow bus station that led to the death of 74‑year‑old Grace Mecaley. The first court appearance is set for 25 September at Westminster Magistrates Court.
London4 min readTrust 70 · Craft 70 · Hype 45
Council & Politics · All LondonHounslow Council fined £1,000 for failing disabled residents
Hounslow Council has been ordered to pay £1,000 to two disabled individuals after failing in its housing duty. The council closed their homelessness application without informing them and did not provide interim accommodation, leaving them sofa surfing for over a year.
All London3 min readTrust 74 · Craft 80 · Hype 30
Council & Politics · CroydonCroydon fly-tipping: Bensham Manor tops list with 8,774 reports
Bensham Manor recorded 8,774 fly-tipping incidents between January and July 2026, with Brigstock Road identified as the borough's most affected street. However, council figures suggest reporting methods may be inflating the numbers.
Croydon4 min readTrust 74 · Craft 95 · Hype 30
Council & Politics · All LondonTfL to begin talks on publicly owned bus company, could reshape London bus services and bring profits back to transport for Londoners across the capital
Transport for London will start talks this month with the city’s 16 private bus operators about creating a publicly owned bus company, a step made possible by the Bus Services Act. Unions and Labour welcome the plan, while a Conservative mayoral hopeful warns of higher costs.
All London4 min readTrust 70 · Craft 70 · Hype 40
Council & Politics · NewhamHeatstroke death at Forest Lodge care home prompts inquest
Zola Bitshuangu, 48, died of heatstroke after staff left him in the rear garden of Forest Lodge care home on 26 May 2026. An inquest opened on 10 September 2026, led by Senior Coroner Graeme Irvine, with the CQC named as an interested person.
Newham4 min readTrust 74 · Craft 95 · Hype 30
Council & Politics · CroydonCroydon Council avoids £426,000 in temporary housing as 63 families relocate through Reloc8
Croydon Council reported that 63 households completed moves via the Reloc8 programme by May 2026, saving an estimated £426,000 in emergency accommodation costs after receiving roughly 4,400 new homelessness applications in the 2025/26 year.
Croydon4 min readTrust 74 · Craft 64 · Hype 28
Council & Politics · CamdenHolborn and St Pancras by-election date set for 8 October
A by-election will take place in Holborn and St Pancras on Thursday 8 October 2026 to elect a new Member of Parliament. The seat became vacant after Sir Keir Starmer announced his resignation. Camden Council leader Sagal Abdi-Wali is standing for Labour.
Camden3 min readTrust 76 · Craft 70 · Hype 15
Council & Politics · LondonKilburn restaurant fined £45,000 for hiring illegal workers
Woody Grill Kilburn Limited has been fined £45,000 for hiring illegal workers. The penalty covers the period between January 1 and March 31, 2026, and was revealed in a government list of employers penalised for illegal working.
London2 min readTrust 40 · Craft 52 · Hype 30
Council & Politics · LondonDavid Lammy warns Tottenham majority could shrink to about 1,000 votes
At a fundraising dinner David Lammy told supporters his Tottenham majority could fall to roughly 1,000 votes. He won the July 2024 election by 15,434 votes, 57.5% of the total, while a Savanta poll suggests Labour could lose 18 London seats at the next general election, though Lammy is expected to hold his.
London3 min readTrust 86 · Craft 95 · Hype 48
Council & Politics · HackneyHackney Council funds seven Repair Cafés
Hackney Council has awarded £1,500 grants to seven community groups to establish Repair Cafés across the borough. These initiatives, running from September to December 2026, aim to reduce waste by offering free repairs for household items and foster community resilience through skill-sharing.
Hackney3 min readTrust 72 · Craft 72 · Hype 25
Council & Politics · City of LondonVictoria Smith to lead HR for City of London Corporation from November
The City of London Corporation has named Victoria Smith as its Executive Director of HR and Chief People Officer. She joins in November, bringing experience from the NHS and previous senior roles in defence and foreign affairs, while Policy Chairman Chris Hayward praised the appointment.
City of London3 min readTrust 74 · Craft 80 · Hype 15
Council & Politics · LambethTrew’s law launch forces automatic review of convictions linked to jailed officers
At a Thursday event in Lambeth, advocates unveiled Trew’s law, a bill that would automatically review convictions where a sentenced officer acted as a witness. The plan follows revelations that at least 64 officers have been jailed between 2023 and 2026 for serious offences.
Lambeth3 min readTrust 68 · Craft 95 · Hype 30