The Metropolitan Police has drafted officers from across England and Wales as it prepares for multiple simultaneous demonstrations and potential counter‑protests in London from 8-10 August 2025, coinciding with the FA Community Shield at Wembley. Hotels accommodating asylum seekers have been flagged as likely flashpoints and Reform UK has called…

A Guardian analysis found four Labour cabinet ministers, including Rachel Reeves, declare rental income from privately let properties — a disclosure Reform UK and housing campaigners say undermines the government’s credibility as it pushes a bill to curb no‑fault evictions. Critics argue ministers are seen to benefit from the market…

Deputy Assistant Commissioner Ade Adelekan will head an expanded Metropolitan Police operation as the capital prepares for a weekend of demonstrations, counter‑protests and the FA Community Shield. The deployment follows the government’s proscription of Palestine Action and rising concern that hotels hosting asylum seekers could become flashpoints. Deputy Assistant Commissioner…

Alba Kapoor of Amnesty International UK has urged the Metropolitan Police to abandon plans to scale up live facial recognition deployments, warning that wider use will entrench racial discrimination and endanger privacy, peaceful assembly and equality. Campaigners point to wrongful stops such as Shaun Thompson’s detention and research from NIST…

Sidney Machin, a 101-year-old Chindit veteran who flew into Burma in gliders during Operation Thursday, was presented with the Freedom of the City of London at the Guildhall alongside his son Trevor in recognition of wartime service and decades of civic duty. Sidney Machin, a 101‑year‑old veteran and one of…

Jeremy Corbyn has rejected a reader’s claim that he advised leaving potatoes in the ground until February, saying he meant preparing and manuring soil in late winter ahead of spring planting. Fellow allotmenteers and Royal Horticultural Society guidance support his clarification, in a row that has reopened debate over council…

John McDonnell has warned the Labour Party risks undermining its climate credentials if it supports Heathrow’s formal plans for a privately funded third runway, which the airport describes as ‘shovel-ready’. Campaigners and MPs point to the social cost for west London communities, Heathrow’s £49–50bn price tag and its multi‑billion-pound debt…

A typical London first-time buyer could pay about £240 less per month than a year ago as mortgage rates and some asking prices ease. Industry data caution the improvement is uneven, repayments remain higher than five years ago and the most attractive deals could vanish rapidly, so buyers are urged…

London’s newest and established five-star hotels are quietly cutting headline room rates that hit four figures during the post-pandemic boom — Raffles at The OWO, The Peninsula and The Emory have shown entry prices falling into the high-£700s–£900s on selected dates. Industry sources say a heavy pipeline of new high-end…

An Evening Standard investigation and local council checks found former police stations in the Isle of Dogs and Southgate being marketed and occupied as residential rooms without planning consent, with tenants living in cramped conditions and paying up to £1,300 a month. Enfield has served a planning enforcement notice and…

Plexal has launched a programme with Google Cloud offering selected Gloucestershire cyber founders credits, hands‑on labs, Gemini access, mentorship and go‑to‑market support to accelerate AI‑enabled products into operational use. The tie‑up — paired with Plexal’s majority stake in regional Hub8 workspaces — aims to link technical development to buyers, but…

Bank of England governor Andrew Bailey rejected reports of a falling out with Chancellor Rachel Reeves after claims he blocked a three‑way meeting over Revolut’s bid for full UK banking authorisation. He said relations were very good, defended the PRA’s operational independence and said the regulator and Revolut are working…