Should Labour soon sweep to power, it will receive an unenviable economic and geopolitical inheritance. Such circumstances provide no guarantee the party would win a second term but one policy would at least secure the gratitude of millions of Londoners: finally fixing Hammersmith Bridge.
This morning, Rachel Reeves committed to working with local authorities in the capital to address the chronic issues surrounding the crossing. But the shadow chancellor declined to put a price tag on that promise. At present, there are real fears it could be another five years before the grade II* listed bridge can be reopened to cars, even if the estimated £250 million cost of mending it were found today.
Londoners — and indeed voters across the country — can expect Reeves and other shadow cabinet ministers to keep tight-lipped about spending over the coming months. While some specific commitments may sound more ambitious than they are in reality. For example, an additional 6,500 teachers on top of the already 468,000 full-time equivalent teachers.
The election date may not yet be set, but it now seems obvious the long campaign has already begun.
Broken courts
How the police investigate rape cases is changing. It is now mandatory for all recruits to be taught how to construct strong rape and sexual offences cases, while victims receive support from the first contact as well as throughout the court process.
Hundreds of Metropolitan Police officers have completed the training with more expected by the end of June under project Operation Soteria, a Home Office-funded initiative aimed at boosting investigative skills among officers. Scotland Yard has seen a tripling of suspected rapists charged in six months under Soteria from 50 last summer to 150 by the end of December 2023. Meanwhile, rapists prosecuted nationally more than doubled from 301 before the Soteria pilot to 633 in the latest quarter.
But these figures coincide with growing evidence of the shocking scale of Britain’s broken courts system. The latest data from the Ministry of Justice shows that 2,786 rape cases are in a crown court backlog of more than 67,000 cases, together with 10,141 involving other sex offences waiting to be heard.
Further emergency measures announced this week, which means that defendants normally remanded could be released on bail, are symptomatic of the crisis and will be of great concern both to victims and members of the public.
London’s summer of music
Missed out on Glastonbury tickets? It may be the best thing that ever happened to you.
Today’s Standard shines a light on the summer of music coming to the capital and the stars in attendance, from Kylie and Nicky Minaj to SZA and Doja Cat. Even better, revellers have the opportunity to return to their own beds, showers and living rooms, rather than negotiate with unresponsive tents.
Somerset may have some lovely farms, but London can offer pretty much everything else.
