Tag: london

Latin Venues in Elephant and Castle Forced Out to Make Way for Redevelopment
The long-running regeneration of Elephant and Castle has been a source of local acrimony for more than a decade. This week, the starkly differing fates of three of its best-loved cultural venues have raised new questions about Southwark council and developer Delancey’s approach to local residents and businesses, writes Ed Gillett.
‘It’s Not a History Lesson Anymore’: The Union Activists Taking on a London Pub Chain
Hot on the heels of union campaigns at TGI Fridays, Wetherspoons and more, workers at London's Antic pub chain are demanding recognition and a roadmap to the London living wage. Joe Hayns interviewed two union members for Novara Media.
Streets Kitchen Streets Kitchen
The Sofia Solidarity Centre Squat Exposed a Housing Crisis Past Breaking Point
Opened on Great Portland Street as London temperatures dropped to minus ten, the Sofia Solidarity Centre squat housed close to two hundred rough sleepers by the time it was evicted. In addition to providing shelter to some of the city's most vulnerable people, the Centre served as a vigorous embodiment of the housing crisis and showed just how easy it could be to get people off the streets.
Luxury Housing for All – Because Nothing Is Too Good for the Working Class
We're told it's inevitable that social housing is dangerous and squalid, whilst the rich get to live in opulent penthouses. It's high time we change that narrative and demand luxury housing for all.
Following the ‘After Grenfell’ Report It’s No Surprise Tories Are on the Attack
Emma Dent Coad's After Grenfell report lays bare the scale of inequality in Kensington and asks questions of those who are responsible. They should be listening, but it's no wonder they're coming out on the attack, writes Nathan Akehurst.
The Mayor’s Housing Strategy: Why We Must Respond
Sadiq Khan says he plans to 'provide all Londoners with a decent and affordable home'. But to achieve this he needs to show he is prepared to challenge the powerful interests that make housing too expensive for most of the city's residents, writes Pilgrim Tucker.  
Taxi for Uber? It’s Time for London to Take Control of Transport
While Uber has ridden roughshod over regulators and unions for years, Transport for London's licence revocation puts thousands of jobs at risk. We need to stand up to Uber, but is there room for a solution which benefits drivers and passengers in the long term?
3 Myths About Riots
Riots are often individualised; put down to criminality, gangs, and moral decline, rather than treated as political eruptions. Here are 3 correctives to some common myths about riots.
‘What Does Gentrification Mean to You?’ Asking Teenagers in Elephant and Castle
Youth worker Ciaran Thapar interviews the young people he works with in Elephant and Castle about gentrification in the area.
How Croydon Went Red
Here's how Tory Gavin Barwell, author of the book 'How to Win a Marginal Seat', saw his majority of just 165 overturned by Labour candidate Sarah Jones with the help of Momentum and some very dedicated campaigners.
The Security Officers Striking for Their Security
This week, security officers at the University of London went on strike to demand that they are granted the security they deserve.
London Councils Are Failing Migrants Under Section 17
New information obtained through Freedom of Information requests by Housing Action Southwark and Lambeth reveals the devastating inadequacy of housing support provided by London councils, particularly for migrant families.
East London Racism Row is Labour’s First Test of Chakrabarti Principles
Two weeks ago the Labour MP Jim Fitzpatrick chose to racialise a routine selection procedure, providing Labour with its first test following the Chakrabarti report.
Exposing London’s Dirty Energy Complex: 5 Companies (and Industries) Causing Climate Change
Climate change is being driven by more than just big name oil and gas firms like BP. A whole network of industries contributes to and relies on environmental destruction. Here are five of the worst offenders based in London.
London Housing Crisis: Squatting Becomes More Precarious, While Guardianships Boom
As more people struggle to keep up with rising rents, squatting continues to be criminalised while London councils are turning towards the promotion of insecure property guardianships.
How Rising London Rents are Funding Elite Private Schools
While you're shelling out to put a roof over your head, it's easy to forget who owns the ground beneath your feet. For many cash-strapped London students, rent money is helping to feather the nests of the elite - and the situation isn't uncommon.
Will Sadiq Khan’s Election Make a Difference to the Policing of London’s ‘Gangs’?
Following the pilot of Operation Shield, Boris Johnson's controversial scheme for dealing with 'gang crime' in London, Sadiq Khan has given no indication of whether he intends to roll it out across the city.
5 Reasons the Fight for Energy Democracy Starts in Communities
Since its inception in late 2015, Switched On London has gone from strength to strength in its campaign for energy democracy. Now the campaign is looking to build a community-led movement to take on fuel poverty.