Elections are ultimately about who wins and who loses, and to that end Sadiq Khan appears to have little to worry about. With less than six weeks to go until the May 2 election, a new Savanta poll for the Centre for London puts the Labour Mayor on 51 per cent, streets ahead of his Conservative rival, Susan Hall, on 27 per cent.
With these numbers eerily similar to previous surveys, it suggests that Hall has failed to close the gap between her and Khan. Yet it is far from all good news for the Mayor, seeking an unprecedented third term. On a range of key issues, a majority of Londoners think he is falling short.
Some 58 per cent of respondents to the poll said the Mayor has done badly or very badly on dealing with knife crime and gangs, as well as tackling homelessness. While 56 per cent think he has done badly or very badly on improving the availability of housing in the capital.
All this suggests that an insurgent alternative candidate had plenty of room to challenge the incumbent. Yet Hall has thus far failed to capture the public’s imagination in ways she might wish, while Tory heavyweights have been conspicuous by their absence, seemingly leaving Hall to fight Khan alone
Nike’s own goal
All publicity may be good publicity, but even Nike could begin to consider whether redesigning the Saint George’s Cross, whose origins date back to medieval times, was strictly necessary. Kit manufacturers inevitably want to redesign the shirt, but this “playful update” has only sown confusion.
Whatever one’s view on the design, the cost is unambiguously absurd. An “authentic” version will set fans back £124.99 for adults and £119.99 for children while a “stadium” version is £84.99 and £64.99 for children. Supporting the England team has never come cheap, but with the Euros fast approaching, many families with young fans will be simply priced out. Something of an own goal for Nike.
Swinging spirit
Sixty years or so ago, London was swinging. The capital set the global fashion trends and everything changed with the opening of Biba, which began life on Abingdon Road in Kensington.
More than half a century on, an exhibition at Bermondsey’s Fashion and Textile Museum is to mark the moment and celebrate the store’s place in our collective imagination. But it isn’t just for those of a certain vintage: Biba is being reconsidered by a new generation as the Sixties spirit is percolating once again in the capital. Prepare to swing again.
