The timing leaves a little to be desired. On the day it was confirmed that the world exceeded 1.5C warming across an entire year for the first time, Labour dropped its flagship £28 billion green investment plan.
This decision has taken place in instalments. The policy had already been pruned so the pledge would only be met halfway through a parliament, subject to the party’s fiscal rules. Yet just this week, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer re-committed to the figure. Now it is gone.
That the two most senior people in the party, Sir Keir and his shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves, have been fighting behind the scenes is far from ideal. What may be worse is the message it sends.
For months, Sir Keir has found himself in a bind. On the one hand, he craves fiscal credibility, without which he believes Labour cannot win an election. On the other, he is frequently accused of being a “flip-flopper” with no fixed belief system. This is a challenge unlikely to be refuted by his ditching yet another pledge.
Central line woe
With sub-tropical temperatures all year round and the multi-day treks to change trains at Bank, the Central line has never been a fan favourite. But at least it was generally fast and frequent. No longer. Anyone who has attempted to use it in recent months has experienced the carnage.
A shortage of trains has led to huge gaps in services and severe overcrowding. And now, Transport for London reveals it still cannot set a date for the return of normal service, despite engineers working overtime to replace worn-out motors on the ageing fleet of trains.
In fact, TfL Commissioner Andy Lord has conceded that the shortage of trains could spread to other lines — including the Bakerloo, Northern and Piccadilly — as a result of a lack of funds to carry out “heavy overhauls” over the last few years. This is the latest evidence of how TfL’s funding shortfall is affecting service today. Without a long-term funding framework, this malaise will spread across the network.
Up on the roof
If you know, you know. Six years after it originally closed, Kensington Roof Gardens, one of the capital’s most enchanting night spots, is set to return as a private members’ club this spring.
Renowned for its grand parties attended by Madonna, Kate Moss and Princess Diana, it is part of a massive and multimillion-pound redevelopment that intends to restore the old nightclub to its former glory.
However, the previously resident flamingos — Bill, Ben, Splosh and Pecks — are not set to return, happy as they are living on a nature reserve near the north Norfolk coast.
