On London Extra: Turning back the tide of pessimism

Rejuvenated high streets can lift spirits and weaken Reform. Plus On London's next event, Brick Lane and Earl's Court latest, Tube crime down the decades and more

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I've been banging on for a while about the importance of reviving London's high streets, mostly because that would be a good thing of itself and also because I think it would help with turning back the tide of dead end populist politics. Those who peddle them thrive on feelings of despair about things never getting better, creating and perpetuating narratives of decline that only they, posing as patriotic, truth-telling, anti-establishment tribunes of "the people", can reverse.

A miserable local high street can reinforce the pessimism on which populism thrives. These pieces of public realm, often literally a few minutes' walk from our front doors, aren't just retail avenues. They are social spaces too, where we meet and mingle with our fellow Londoners and where a sense of belonging and, ideally, liking and caring about where we belong, is nurtured and nourished.

A couple of things have happened this week to reassure me that I'm not alone in feeling that way.