My 10-year plan to clean up London's rivers - just like its air
The London Standard|October 10, 2024
Sadiq Khan no longer lives in a glass onion, the distinctive bauble down near Tower Bridge.
Sadiq Khan
My 10-year plan to clean up London's rivers - just like its air

In 2022, the Mayor of London took the entire machinery of London governance, including the London Assembly and the GLA, with him down to the Royal Docks, where they now reside in an angular building formerly known as The Crystal. It sits, proudly, on Kamal Chunchie Way, named after a local race relations campaigner, and is the nerve centre, the Starship Enterprise, of London politics. It is here where Khan administers his £20.4 billion budget, ostensibly to improve London's economic and social development; here where he oversees everything from transport and culture to housing and policing.

A divisive figure, Khan nevertheless won an unprecedented third term back in May (endorsed by The London Standard), trouncing the woefully unimpressive Tory candidate, Susan Hall. She campaigned largely on Khan's equally divisive Ulez scheme, but it turned out Londoners weren't as binary as she believed.

However, the Mayor is continually lambasted for being unable to significantly affect rising crime in our city, and obviously for the chaotic nature of our roads. While everyone wants a cleaner, healthier city, it's often impossible to negotiate it.

As for cycle lanes, they've started to define London in a way that often feels overwhelming.

Back in the Nineties people used to say that there was such a proliferation of Starbucks that they were starting to open Starbucks in other Starbucks. That's how many feel about a city that's quickly becoming a cyclist's nirvana.

This story is from the October 10, 2024 edition of The London Standard.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the October 10, 2024 edition of The London Standard.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM THE LONDON STANDARDView All
Why are England wasting time waiting for Tuchel?
The London Standard

Why are England wasting time waiting for Tuchel?

Winning the World Cup is the aim, so the new boss should start now

time-read
3 mins  |
November 14, 2024
He's been shot, and punched by Mike Tyson, but British boxing's great survivor is back on top and aiming to rule the world
The London Standard

He's been shot, and punched by Mike Tyson, but British boxing's great survivor is back on top and aiming to rule the world

This is where the magic happens,\" reads a big neon sign scrawled across the entrance to the offices of arguably the most powerful man in British boxing today.

time-read
7 mins  |
November 14, 2024
How Sketch went from 'obscene' to era-defining
The London Standard

How Sketch went from 'obscene' to era-defining

After arocky start, the glamorous and infamous restaurant is now an institution

time-read
4 mins  |
November 14, 2024
Money is worth less than time'
The London Standard

Money is worth less than time'

He's quit Fendi, but what will Kim Jones do next?

time-read
4 mins  |
November 14, 2024
London's Roman Amphitheatre
The London Standard

London's Roman Amphitheatre

Guildhall Yard, EC2V

time-read
3 mins  |
November 14, 2024
Liberals didn't notice they'd lost relevance in the all-consuming digital sphere
The London Standard

Liberals didn't notice they'd lost relevance in the all-consuming digital sphere

There are many reasons why Donald Trump might have won the election last week.

time-read
2 mins  |
November 14, 2024
Do we have to die?
The London Standard

Do we have to die?

One neuroscientist thinks the answer is no

time-read
4 mins  |
November 14, 2024
The London Standard

How to have a magical Christmas in Edinburgh

From cosy cobblestone streets to abundant Yuletide goings-on, few cities rival the Scottish capital in creating Christmas whimsy.

time-read
2 mins  |
November 14, 2024
London's best festive restaurants
The London Standard

London's best festive restaurants

The social season is upon us once more. These are the city’s most coveted Christmas venues, which need to be booked soon so as to not miss out on the tinsel and tipples.

time-read
2 mins  |
November 14, 2024
Rag'n'Bone Man
The London Standard

Rag'n'Bone Man

I struggle with being recognised... I'll never really feel comfortable with it'

time-read
6 mins  |
November 14, 2024