2022 in The Londoner’s Diary
(Picture: ES)Good things come in threes. Three wise men, three French hens, and in 2022, three Prime Ministers. The latest series of the Great British political existential crisis was particularly thrilling, and the Londoner was lucky to watch it unfold.
In June, we saw then Chancellor Rishi Sunak make a speech about “new ideas” in politics at a summer party, and wondered what he could mean. The next week, we found out: he resigned, prising Boris Johnson out of No 10. In the weeks that followed, we wrote about Boris and Carrie’s wedding party, which had to be moved from Chequers. We revealed too that Johnson’s removals van had dented the Downing Street gates on the way out. The couple then moved in next to a psychic. Could the new neighbour help him decide what to do next?
In an overheated leadership race, Liz Truss beat Sunak to become PM, but early blunders meant she didn’t last. Our reports on Kwasi Kwarteng’s partying could have been a warning. A biography of Truss kept having to be changed at the last minute, while she didn’t get much support at the Tory conference. Rishi Sunak spent a month around town chatting with the anti-growth coalition before he got the keys to No 10.
At Labour’s Conference, a karaoke session showed a party in happier spirits. But a ghost of Christmases past, Jeremy Corbyn, did give Keir Starmer a few headaches with hopes of returning as a Labour MP. We’ve followed as Starmer was careful in his selection of Labour candidates.
Others played bit parts too. Nadine Dorries gave us her advice for Matt Hancock in the I’m a Celebrity jungle. In August, a group of MPs went on a badly timed freebie cricket trip to the Caribbean, perhaps trying to get away from it all. Many would have liked to join them.
Writing about the stars
It was a year of two halves for David Beckham. He won plaudits for queuing to see the Queen lie in state in September. But in May, he told us of his support for gay footballers coming out, and was then accused of hypocrisy for his World Cup deal with Qatar, where being gay is illegal.
Elsewhere, Ralph Fiennes told us it was “stupid” to boycott Russian culture over the invasion of Ukraine, while Guy Ritchie had to delay his film release because it had featured Ukrainian villains.
Amanda Cronin revealed that she’d been paid £25,000 by neighbour Roman Abramovich after a pipe leak in an upstairs flat. Tinie Tempah claimed NFTs would save the music industry, but the market has since taken a slide. Idris Elba had to scrap plans for a new restaurant in the redeveloped Battersea Power Station.
Departing BBC Radio star Paul O’Grady lamented the state of the Corporation. Also at the Beeb, Gary Lineker was criticised by a senior colleague over accusations of bias in his tweets.
Joanna Lumley caused controversy when she said there is a new fashion for women to be the “victims” of sexism. And Maureen Lipman sparked debate when she argued that Helen Mirren shouldn’t play ex-Israeli premier Golda Meir in a new film because she isn’t Jewish.
This summer, Jeremy Clarkson told us that he’d bought a pub. Clarkson is now in trouble for a nasty column he wrote about Meghan Markle. Stick to pulling pints in 2023?
Lifelines after lockdowns
After lockdowns, this was the year that London got back to business, with the full return of parties, to our delight. But some of the capital’s oldest institutions needed a little help. We broke the news that Simpson’s Tavern, an iconic chophouse in the City, had closed its doors due to pandemic rent arrears. An outcry ensued, raising more than £100,000. While issues remain, a reopening is hoped for next year.
We also wrote a series of pieces about museums and their debates over whether to repatriate items from around the world. The British Museum was a particular favourite.
Farewell ma’am
As the nation said farewell to the Queen this autumn, we scoured the Londoner’s Diary archive for pieces about Her Majesty. On her birth in 1926, the column suggested her name should be Elizabeth and, after the war, wrote of rumours she might have a fiancé: a Greek prince called Philip.
This year we also revealed The Crown’s last-minute search for an actor to play a young Prince Harry.
London shows support for Ukraine
London rallied behind Ukraine this year after Russia’s invasion. Ukrainian restaurant Mriya, run by people displaced by war, opened in Earl’s Court. A brave curator went to Kyiv to collect works for an art show, and a Russian-speaking theatre group performed hopeful works. Russian restaurants in the capital called for peace. Historian Orlando Figes urged students to keep studying Russian history.
