Advertise on podcast: True London

The Policy Institute at King's College has produced an authoritative study of the differences between what the British public believes about London and what official statistics show, concentrating mostly on crime the capital's population and its general quality of life. Dr Jack Brown is Senior Lecturer in Government Studies at King's and the author of, among other top pieces of work about the capital, a short book called The London Problem (Haus Publishing). It was a pleasure to speak to him about the Policy Institute's very illuminating findings. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This year's local elections in London are the most unpredictable for years and likely to produce changes in the political control of most of the capital's 32 boroughs. The Liberal Democrats have had less publicity than all the other parties, yet the have good grounds for thinking they will emerge stronger after 7 May. They may not win a majority on Labour-run Southwark Council but hope to win a substantial numbers of seats, perhaps the largest number, in a possible hung council. The leader of the Lib Dem group, Victor Chamberlain, talked about their local campaign on the ground and the parties wider prospects across the city. For more information about this year's borough contests, read the definitive guide to them compiled by me and elections expert Lewis Baston for public affairs specialists Lowick Hedry. It is HERE. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sunder is the director of British Future, a think tank concerned with the big issues of integration, identity, ethnicity and culture. It has just published a highly illuminating report about how best to keep on bringing people together in the high-diversity east London borough of Newham. Read it here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Daniel Sugarman is the deputy editor of Jewish News. He's written eloquently about the impacts of antisemitic attacks on Jewish communities, including the one at the start of this week that saw the torching of ambulances owned and operated - for the benefit of people of all faiths and none - by a Jewish charity. This took place in the car park of a synagogue in Golders Green, an area where many Jewish Londoners live. Jewish News also recently ran a powerful editorial in response to extraordinary and virulent attacks by right-wing politicians on an entirely legal and tranquil open iftar that took place in Trafalgar Square, defending the right of Muslims to celebrate their faith in public spaces (as many other religions do in Trafalgar Square). We spoke about all of the above along with the double standards and ulterior motives found among politicians and campaigners on both Right and Left in their attitudes to Jews and antisemitism, especially in the current, anxious climate. Daniel also set out his concerns about the laws relating to protest marches. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Last year saw some big initiatives designed to get housing supply in the capital going again, including lowering the Mayor's affordable threshold, easing some planning requirements, a new Social And Affordable Homes Programme allocation and the recommendation of two sites for London New Towns. More recently, we've seen a move towards "rent convergence" for social housing landlords (see my explainer here). But there were also many factors working against more building. Has there been any useful progress since then? Dan Reast of Centre for London is admirably well-informed. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nick regards the present accountability arrangements for policing in the capital as a mess, leaving London's Mayors having to accept a lot of responsibility for policing and crime while having few powers to go with it. The Home Secretary has just announced plans for reorganising and reforming police services nationally. Will they result in a better settlement for London? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Lewis is one of the most respected elections analysts in the country and On London is delighted to frequently publish his work. This year's borough elections are very likely to produce a very different set of results from those of 2022 or 2018, with Labour losing lots of seats. But the Conservatives might too, especially in some suburban boroughs where Reform UK poses a threat. And to which alternatives might voters who desert Labour turn? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jonathon was in the thick of community defiance of the notorious Dame Shirley's Porter and her Conservative council administration Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Marina Ahmad is the London Assembly member for Lambeth & Southwark and currently chairs that body's police and crime committee at a time when the Metropolitan Police Commissioner is striving to improve the professionalism and culture of the service. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Muniya Barua is deputy chief executive of BusinessLDN, an organisation that represents many of the capital's biggest employers. She knows what she is talking about. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Despite its numerous problems in government, Labour remains the most popular party in London. But is it taking the capital for granted? Is it even joining in with anti-London populism in order to win favour elsewhere in the country? And is it going to regret it? The brilliant Christabel, director of research at Labour Together, has answers to all of those questions. She also writes for OnLondon.co.uk. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Professor Tony Travers of the London School of Economics is the best person you could possibly have to explain the fairness or otherwise of the government's plans for changing how it contributes to the funding of local government. We also dipped into the government Pride in Place funding programme and consider whether that will do much for the Uk capital, which is rich in many ways yet also has very high poverty rates. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Previously a school teacher like her dad, Hina Bokhari has been a Liberal Democrat Merton councillor since 2018, the first Muslim woman to win a seat in that borough. She was elected to the London Assembly in 2021. In our conversation she reflects on her party's recent conference, its attitude to London and hopes for making gains at next year's borough elections and speaks with feeling about the recent increase in racist incidents and flag intimidation. She also speaks up for the Labour Mayor following Donald Trump's latest insulting behaviour and recalls her father being a teacher and mentor to the young Sir Sadiq. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Green Party's new national leader is a confident, charismatic, self-styled "eco populist" who has a seat on the London Assembly. Will his elevation help his party's electoral prospects n the capital or hinder them? An LSE Policy Fellow and expert number cruncher, Jenevieve Treadwell looks at the challenges the party faces with holding its broad electoral coalition together and making it bigger. Green supporters in Lambeth and Hackney might be enthused by Polanski's radicalism. But what about those in Richmond? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As well as being a Labour AM, Elly Baker is the current chair of the London Assembly's transport committee. In this podcast she talks about the decline of London's bus service, antisocial cycling and the transport committee's recent intervention over fare dodging - an issue that has been exploited by right-wing politicians as part of a larger negative narrative about the capital. And with London Underground strikes imminent, she draws on her experience working for trade unions to offer some thoughts about relations between the Tube unions and management. For more top coverage of the UK capital city, read OnLondon.co.uk. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.