On London Extra: Local matters

Hard work and honest service by councillors and activists can challenge the cynicism on which the populist Right depends. Plus theatre, street ASB and lots more

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Against a backdrop of Labour government troubles and the parasitic populism of the nationalist Right has come a study telling us that only a third of Londoners think Parliament makes a good job of "representing the interests and wishes of people like me" or of "understanding the daily lives of people like me".

Such scepticism is not new or confined to the capital. Neither is the finding of the researchers, from Queen Mary University of London's Mile End Institute, that Londoners have greater faith in their local councils to do right by them.

True, at 38 per cent their endorsement was less than universal. It was, though, significantly higher than the 25 per cent who trusted national government. Local MPs and the Mayor fared better too, but boroughs topped the list.

In this lies hope for Labour and for London politicians from other parties who are alive to the patriotic need to defeat the menace of Reform UK and its like, not least with borough elections coming next May.