Nick Bowes

President Donald Trump could be given Freedom of the City of London President Donald Trump could be offered the Freedom of the City of London as part of a charm offensive to help make the case against tariffs.

Glad to see that I beat President Trump to being awarded Freedom of the City of London. Can't wait to see him shepherd his sheep over London Bridge www.cityam.com/president-do...

YouGov on it today with the big issues of our time -
DO YOU LIKE OR DISLIKE THE SMELL OF PETROL?

2025 Kent County Council election - Wikipedia

3/ Given the near-wipeout of the Tories just over the border in Kent at May's local elections, this will be a by-election result that sends the shivers down the spine of the Bromley conservatives with May 2026's all out elections fast approaching. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2025_Ke...

Bromley and Biggin Hill (UK Parliament constituency) - Wikipedia

2/ In 2022, Labour came second in this ward. At the General Election, the Tories held on to the Bromley & Biggin Hill constituency (which includes this ward) by just 302 votes over Labour. Reform were third, but did get over 8,000 votes. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bromley...

1/ Overnight London by-election result 🚨Reform win a seat from the Tories in Bromley - the shape of things to come in outer London boroughs at next May's local elections? #byelection #London #Bromley

The racist right hate London because it defies their portrayal of diversity as bad. And @london.gov.uk is the embodiment of that diversity - a football mad, liberal, inclusive, multi-faith Mayor who happens to be Muslim. How frustrating to racists who make out all Muslims hate our values & culture

In the same spirit (but better than mine!) here’s @iandunt.bsky.social’s take down of brainwashed Goodwin’s piece on London iandunt.substack.com/p/they-hate-...

Reports of London's Demise are Greatly Exaggerated Writing off London is suddenly fashionable. Some is transparently political – doom-laden variation on the theme of “Khan’s London”.

A bit of London boosterism from me in this week's
@thisislca.bsky.social LDN Newsletter. Don't forget to sign up (link at the end) to receive LDN direct to your inbox every week - the indispensable guide to London's politics & public policy news that matters for the built environment...and more!

More evidence, if needed, that the @greenparty.org.uk is now the progressive alternative for disgruntled @teamlabouruk.bsky.social voters in inner London. Next May’s local elections in London have all the ingredients of a bloody night for Labour

YouTube video by Warner Bros. Classics Bullitt | The Car Chase | Full Scene | Warner Classics

RIP Lalo Schifrin. So many cool scores and themes but nothing beats the combo of his music, the throaty roar of a Mustang and the San Francisco backdrop. Ladies & gents I give you the coolest car chase in movie history #Bullitt #LaloSchifrin

How to lose political support and alienate people - Exhibit #1

Tory peer Liam Booth-Smith takes job at AI firm he encountered at No 10 Rishi Sunak’s ex-chief of staff lands role at Anthropic, which has memorandum of understanding on working with government

He shouldn’t have taken a peerage AND do this job. He needs to pick one or the other. I’ve worked in/around this world for a few years now, and ‘external affairs’ includes advocacy and influencing of decision-makers despite what ACOBA might say. It’s wrong to be a legislator and a lobbyist.

Oh man. Looks like London AND New York will have Muslim mayors soon. I cannot imagine how frenzied some on the right will be at this prospect. Cue lots of “New York is fallen…” etc etc blah blah

And the Telegraph would have hated Virginia and the Bloomsbury Group. Liberal decadence and votes for women hardly the Telegraph’s thing back in the 1920s and 1930s. I imagine the Bloomsbury Group would have felt very at home in a liberal, tolerant, diverse modern London.

Amazing to think that she *would* have recognised it right up to 4 May 2016 though

🚨 Batshit Telegraph headline of the day 🚨 ‘Woman dead for nearly 100 years wouldn’t recognise today’s London’ shocker

Fairer funding for councils across the country in major reform An overhaul of the outdated and complex council system will bring fairer funding, more stability and improve lives of people across the county

Of course, there won't be any meaningful reform of Council Tax, perhaps the most broken of all taxes. Instead, the Government will place more burden on it, stretching it to breaking point. Oh, and look! A quote from IPPR North - we know what that is code for... www.gov.uk/government/n...

Cats ruled out for parliamentary pest patrols over welfare concerns Free roaming felines have been rejected as potential pest controllers in Westminster because of concerns for their safety.

Pity. They'd have made a big difference in Pawtcullis House www.standard.co.uk/news/politic...

With Heathrow expansion so controversial, I suspect quite a few Londoners - given the choice - would have preferred the Chancellor to show her backing for London by backing the Bakerloo Line Extension or DLR to Thamesmead.

And the Chancellor saying "backing London by backing a third runway" felt unnecessary. It might look clever written down on paper, but it will annoy the Mayor, London Labour MPs & council leaders. Plus, Rachel Reeves quote will be plastered across next May's Green & Lib Dem local election leaflets!

Much to say about the Spending Review, but first - when did a third runway at Heathrow and completing HS2 to Euston become "London" projects? Rather cheeky spin by the Government in my opinion

Every political activist is with you, @anneliesemidgleymp.bsky.social 💪🏼✉️📮

Charles is of course right. The Government can kiss goodbye to getting anywhere near the new housing target they're setting London if the rumours about what is (or, more importantly, isn't) in the Spending Review for London.

Besides, TfL could borrow more - it has a credit rating better than just about any public authority. But the Treasury won't allow it. This is despite London's 25 year success story of capacity improvements to public transport more than paying for themselves. Rant over!

Instead, the risk is we end up with decaying trains, more infrastructure failures, an end to the sustained investment of the last 25 years. The Bakerloo Line trains are already the oldest trains in regular passenger service in Britain (from 1973) - even older than me.

It is mad that a city the size of London has to go cap in hand to the Government for £1bn to extend for a few miles the DLR. London (and all regions) should be able to raise and retain more of its own taxes and decide how it invests.

While the Government clearly see this as a political strategy, they are also being played by the Treasury. Government's change, but the Treasury stays in charge. Divide and rule is their aim - let the regions fight out over slices of the pie. A distraction from bigger things like devolution

I can imagine that if South Yorkshire Mayor Oliver Coppard was unhappy at the CSR, only to be told by the Government to pipe down as Manchester Airport is investing in new terminals/airports, he wouldn't be too happy.

And apparently HS2 is now a London project. Yeah, thanks for that. While the Government might have greenlit the tunnelling from Old Oak Common, there's no solution to the wider Euston station challenge. Without sorting that, the whole line is chopped off at the knees, affecting way more than London

Also - while based on no evidence whatsoever - I suspect that most Londoners, if forced to choose, would go for new tube lines and upgrades ahead of airport expansion.