London is the best place in the world to call home — the trouble is finding somewhere to live. A decades-long house price boom has made getting on the property ladder impossible for millions, while rent can consume more than half of disposable income.
Rishi Sunak has today “stepped in” to sort the capital’s housing crisis, announcing a further £200 million package — including £53 million for Old Oak West and £150 million for house building direct to London boroughs. There was also time left over to give the Mayor of London a good kicking, suggesting Sadiq Khan had “failed to deliver on the homes that London needs”.
We welcome greater investment for the capital, however insufficient, given the years of attempts to level down our city. But Londoners may be forgiven for raising a sceptical eyebrow, thanks to the frequency with which promises on housing are made, before being broken.
The Prime Minister is clearly in campaign mode, and we would encourage an arms race from all parties over who will deliver the most new homes in London. But any fruits will not be enjoyed until the other side of the general election. The grim reality is that this crisis has far further to run.
Don’t ignore voters on climate
A warning to politicians of all stripes running scared of climate policies: you are ignoring the voters. Millions of Britons fear climate change is a serious global threat which has spiralled out of control, according to an Ipsos poll for the Standard. Hardly a surprise, when the science is clear and people can see with their own eyes the destruction human-induced warming has wrought. Nor is this a party-political issue; concern about the climate is shared across voters of all parties and people of all ages.
Last July’s 40 degree temperatures in Britain were less of a threat than a promise. Unless we stop burning fossil fuels and meet our legally binding targets, they will become the norm. It is regrettable that it required people to feel the effects of climate change before concluding we ought to do something about it. But it would be madness to see the evidence in front of us and run into the fire.
Charisma and power
Few artists have garnered so much affection, or precipitated so many tears, as a result of a single song — let alone a cover. That was the power, the intensity and charisma of Sinéad O’Connor. Her death, at the age of 56, will come as a shock to all who loved and admired her, from up close and afar.
