On London Extra: Looking ahead

Huge tasks face the knightly duo, Sir Sadiq and Sir Keir. Plus responding to London's protest politics landscape, others on the honours list, news from elsewhere and more

Every paid subscriber helps not just me but an entire London journalism website. Thanks.

Welcome to the first edition of On London Extra of 2025 and Happy New Year. As long-time supporters of my endeavours know, this Friday newsletter tries to do three things: one, look back at the London week reaching its end; two, look ahead to issues that need covering in the days, weeks and months ahead; three, direct you to London things you might enjoy reading, watching or visiting over the weekend (or whenever).

So, first things first, um, how was your Christmas? What did you think of the fireworks? And what do you think about the Mayor getting a knighthood?

The latter announcement, though widely trailed, brought forth predictable howls of outrage from the right which, as I wrote yesterday, have further demonstrated the dearth of humility on that part of the political spectrum, its lack of a constructive agenda for London (or anywhere else) and the populist rage that festers and seethes at its extremes.

The capital, internationalist, cosmopolitan and with only nine Conservative MPs out of 75, remains resistant to forces of low nationalism and culture warring, as also indicated by its lack of Farage Riots. But with the Tories' new leader seemingly preoccupied with wooing voters back from Reform UK - hence her ill-judged squabble with its leader - and no sign of a change of approach from the Tory London Assembly group, the main opposition to Labour in the city looks likely to continue to have a hard right character, at least for now.