This year began on a high with our New Year celebrations. The fireworks were truly magnificent and London was on the news all over the world. The turnout was impressive and it was the perfect start to a year which has been mostly extremely good for London. This year, I have focused on apprenticeships, accessibility [...]

Over recent years there has been a marked increase in metal thefts across the country with 360 thefts being reported on London railways since April 2010 alone. It is not just railways that are being targeted by metal thieves either; church roofs, utility cables and war memorials have all been targeted. These thefts are estimated [...]

The acts of violence we have seen on the streets of Ealing and across the city on 8th August 2011 were inexcusable and motivated by nothing other than mindless thuggery. A small number of people intent on causing destruction set fire to cars, smashed shop windows and, most shockingly of all, hijacked and deliberately crashed [...]

Since the release of the coroner’s report into the July 7th attack we have had the weekend to fully digest both her findings and recommendations. I welcome the coroners verdict as it now presents some closure for the bereaved families – though they will never forget the loved ones that have been lost and nor [...]

Today the world can breathe with a sigh of relief as a man responsible for the deaths of thousands of innocent men women and children across the globe has finally answered for his many crimes. In a raid carried out by the US Special Forces, Osama Bin-Laden a terrorist who proudly claimed responsibility for the [...]

On 1st December 2010, I was appointed Chairman of the London Region Resilience Forum- the equivalent of New York’s Office of Emergency Management. My Responsibilities include: business continuity and recovery from a catastrophic event. This covers fire, pestilence, flooding, terrorist attacks, collapses in national infrastructure (e.g. gas, electricity, water and food supplies). This is a [...]

The London Assembly is at its best when it acts cross-party, solely in the interests of London and not seeking party political advantage. The most dramatic demonstration of this was the “7 July Review Committee: the lessons learnt”, of which I had the privilege to Chair, draw up its terms of reference and issue the [...]