The capital is entering one of the odder and, I fear, unhappier periods in its history. It has just re-elected a Conservative mayor whose philosophy and policies closely harmonise with those of the Conservative-led national government, yet the opinion polls and London assembly election results confirm the 2010 general election and borough election results in showing London to be an anti-Conservative city.
It isn't hard to see why. Unemployment is high and public spending cuts are hurting. Meanwhile, the cost of living in the capital, thanks primarily to the insane price of accommodation, is taking its toll on more and more households. Too many young Londoners see the future as a place filled with joblessness, street crime and the fear of it, and little prospect of leading a self-sufficient adult life. Too many London parents doubt that their children will be able to afford to live here when they grow up.
The Conservatives in Downing Street and City Hall are alike in offering few convincing cures for these ills. The sense of a city becoming re-ordered socially, economically and spatially to the disadvantage of those with the least money and power is hard to escape. For me, this poses a threat to some of the capital's finest traditions and to hopes that it might become a more efficient, congenial and generous capitalist metropolis.
London is about to enter a summer of celebrations - the Queen's diamond jubilee and the Olympics - which will see our city sold to the world as a story of glory and success. In some ways, that story will be true. In others it will be utterly false and growing more so every day.
The Guardian on London
The woman who lives in a shed: how London landlords are cashing in
Letters: housing policy inflicting ever increasing pain on Londoners
Bus drivers could strike during Olympics, Unite warns
Met police suspend sergeant over racism allegations
Jubilee street party, SW6 - in 1977
Met police officer to be charged over assault allegations
Johnson's victory confirms mayoralty as a wing of Tory-led government
London assembly election results 2012
Boris Johnson: how right can he get?
London blogosphere
From the stupendous London Reconnections:
Whilst most of the attention on Thursday [3 May] was focused on City Hall, out West a major milestone was reached on Crossrail – tunnelling started at Royal Oak.
More more info and some boring pics - no, this kind of boring - read on.
Coming up
The London Assembly is getting back to its sometimes quarrelsome business as I type, but there will be no public meetings at City Hall next week. This, perhaps, will be an opportunity for members - the non-Tory ones, anyway - and for me to take a long, cool look at the many challenges facing London over the next four years before getting back to the task of scrutinising the mayor's activities. There's plenty to think about. And write about. Keep in touch.
