Latest news with #SadiqKhan
The Sun
an hour ago
- Business
- The Sun
Derek Chisora considers wading into the political ring with a run at London Mayor for Reform UK
DEREK Chisora is eyeing up his toughest fight yet - to become a Reform UK mayor. The British heavyweight is being urged by pals to run to be London Mayor. 2 The boxing star, 41, is close pals with Nigel Farage and campaigned for Brexit. Friends reckon he could floor Labour in the capital. If he entered the fray for City Hall, he would be the second boxer to stand for Reform. Olympic medalist Luke Campbell was elected Mayor of Hull and East Yorkshire earlier this year. A source close to Chisora told The Sun on Sunday: 'Derek has been a loyal supporter of Nigel for years and they are known to attend social events together. Nigel is always ringside at his fights. 'Friends of Derek are urging him to ' do a Luke' and take on Labour at the next London election. 'He has real personality and stands a good chance of winning if the Reform surge continues.' Chisora is just one bout short of his 50th fight - and then is expected to hang up his boxing gloves. He has previously spoken of his friendship with Nigel Farage, saying: 'I don't know anything about politics, but I think we have to put British people first. "I became friends with Nigel and Nick Candy and campaigned for Brexit.' But Chisora faces a battle to be picked by Reform to be their candidate for London Mayor. 2 Fellow Reform backer Celebrity SAS hardman Ant Middleton has said he wants the job. Sadiq Khan is expected to step down as Labour London Mayor before the next election in 2028.
The Guardian
6 hours ago
- Business
- The Guardian
Can South by Southwest's London debut recreate Austin's star-making power?
South by Southwest London could become a launchpad for 'music's global superstars of the future', according to the organisers of the event, which starts its inaugural edition on Monday. SXSW London's director of programming, Katy Arnander, and the event's managing director, Randel Bryan said that despite huge competition in the capital, the event, which has been billed as 'Olympics of the mind' and is known as SXSW, could become a star-maker. 'We had Amy Winehouse playing in tiny venues back in the day,' says Bryan, referring to the Austin event. 'We've had Adele and Ed Sheeran, and we're hoping that South by Southwest in London is the same platform to really launch the global superstars of the future.' The original event, which launched in the Texas capital of Austin in 1987, has grown to a London-wide festival that attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors to the city in March. A mix of cutting-edge music, tech, talks from business and political figures and a film strand, previous guests to the event including Barack and Michelle Obama, Johnny Cash, Matthew McConaughey, Kelly Rowland, Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg. The London event has been welcomed with open arms by everyone from music figures to the city's mayor, Sadiq Khan, who said he was 'delighted' to have SXSW in London, where it will take over multiple venues in Shoreditch in the east of the city. But launching in London is a risk. When SXSW is in the Texas capital, it takes over the city's downtown area – a feat that's impossible in London. The UK's capital is not Austin, which is a big city but without the myriad cultural offerings of London. On the music front, nearby Brighton's Great Escape has long been billed as the UK's answer to SXSW, while this summer season is packed with park festivals that started last weekend at Brockwell Park despite a row over use of public space. Events such as Intelligence Squared already offer access to the great minds of our time, and the London film festival brings in talent from all over the world. So what does SXSW London offer? 'We really do believe that it's truly unique in the ability to combine creativity with technology and bring some of the greatest thought leaders together on a platform,' says Arnander, who previously worked at the Barbican and Sadler's Wells. 'And so in that sense, we think it's something truly remarkable to bring to the UK.' 'Austin is very music focused, but we're sort of broadening it out and introducing other elements to it,' adds Arnander, highlighting the visual arts programme that features Alvaro Barrington. In the 2000s and 2010s, the Austin event became known as a key launchpad for musical talent, particularly British artists, who went to Texas and came back after planting a flag in the notoriously difficult to break American market. Amy Winehouse, Dua Lipa, Skepta and Stormzy all made waves in Austin, but over recent years, that kingmaker status has faltered. Last year, more than 80 artists withdrew from the 2024 edition in support of Palestine after Israel's invasion of Gaza, citing SXSW's ties to the US army and the defence contractor RTX Corporation. Sign up to The Guide Get our weekly pop culture email, free in your inbox every Friday after newsletter promotion The US army was listed as a 'super sponsor' of the 2024 festival, and SXSW initially defended the partnership, while also supporting the boycotting artists. SXSW said it defended the artists' right to free speech but added that the 'defense industry has historically been a proving ground for many of the systems we rely on today'. In June 2024, the festival ended its US army partnership after the backlash. When asked if the row had affected bookings, Arnander said: 'No, just to be clear, we're quite independent from Austin, and while Austin had sponsorship from the US army, we don't have any such sponsorship.' The UK and US events are owned by different companies. London's musical offering has some big names: Afrobeats star Tems is playing a show at the Troxy, Wyclef Jean is in town, while Erykah Badu was a late addition to the lineup. Mabel is another highlight. But compared with the US event's usual musical lineup – where Drake, Lana Del Rey, John Legend or Iggy Pop might show up – London's first edition feels underpowered. SXSW London's talks programme is where most of the star wattage is found. The CEO of Google's AI laboratory DeepMind, Demis Hassabis, is over for a chat about artificial intelligence; Hollywood spiritual guru Deepak Chopra imparts wisdom; while the former Arsenal star Cesc Fàbregas discusses the rise of Como, the Italian side he manages. Fitness influencer Joe Wicks will give his thoughts on integrating fitness into office life (working meetings, apparently), while actor Idris Elba talks about creativity and comedian Katherine Ryan discusses immortality. The US event also evolved to include film programming, alongside the traditional tech, talks and music. SXSW London will take over the Barbican, hosting premieres of Eminem's fan documentary Stans and Tom Kingsley's comedy Deep Cover starring Bryce Dallas Howard and Orlando Bloom, while there's a retrospective for British film-maker Jenn Nkiru at Christ Church in Spitalfields.
Metro
9 hours ago
- Business
- Metro
Could London be the next city to introduce a tourist tax?
In many European cities, paying a tourist tax is nothing new. If anything, it's expected. From Paris to Barcelona to Amsterdam, the majority of our favourite hotspots come with an extra fee, whether we pay it at our accommodation or the airport. Its purpose is simple: to provide the city with money for things like general upkeep, sustainability initiatives, and an increased demand on public services. And as many places grapple with the effects of overtourism, taxes are increasing, and new ones are being introduced. For example, Venice doubled its tax for daytrippers earlier this year, while the Azores implemented one on January 1. Recently, there's been talk of London joining the club. Last month, the Centre for London released a report called Arts for All, urging the Greater London Authority to 'explore the implementation of a tourist tax' to help invest in the capital's arts and cultural scene. Last year, Mayor Sadiq Khan voiced his potential support, too. In October, he told The Standard he'd be 'happy to look into' whether a tax for overnight stays would be feasible. But, while the arts do need funding – the report says that physical engagement with arts and culture in London sits below or close to the national average – what would a potential tourist tax mean for the wider community, including daytrippers from the UK? 'Tourists are going to be more accepting of the tax if they can understand where it is being spent,' explains travel expert, Deepak Shukla, CEO of Pearl Lemon Adventures, a London-based travel and tourism company, to find out. Essentially, if the money tourists pay goes towards upgrading infrastructure and transportation, as well as financing and upgrading major attractions, we might all get on board with it. There's no denying London feels the effects of overtourism. Visitor numbers to the UK are on the up: VisitBritain estimates that there were 41.2 million visits to the UK for the full year 202, 1% up on 2019, with most of them heading to the capital. London has also been described as the 'Wild West' of Airbnbs. In Westminster in particular, councillors said more than 10,500 homes were used as holiday lets, and residents claim that one mansion block close to Hyde Park hosts more guests per night than The Ritz. With rent prices in the capital already eye-wateringly high, short-term lets only serve to make living in the city even more expensive. London also has the most congested roads in Europe, with analysis by analytics company Inrix finding drivers in the capital spent 101 hours sitting in traffic in 2024. Though there is some merit to the idea, Shukla adds that a tourist tax is 'not without its problems.' He says that the success of a tax depends on various factors, with the volume of tourism being a big consideration. Currently, around 30 million tourists flock to London every year. Should the same number still come with a tourist tax, it will ensure a steady flow of income. However, if the tax deters tourists, it could lead to fewer visits and less income than expected. Another concern is London's competitiveness compared to other global locations. Currently, Spanish cities like Madrid and Valencia (which boast better weather than the UK) don't have a tourist tax. Neither do up-and-coming European city break destinations like Helsinki or Tallinn. 'If an additional expense like tourist tax is imposed, travellers may opt to visit places that do not have these costs, impacting London's tourism sector,' states Shulka. Similarly, Mayor Sadiq Khan noted that the money raised would need to be strictly monitored. If it were spent elsewhere, with people not seeing the benefits locally or regionally, it wouldn't be fair. He said: 'It's really important to give that reassurance to the [tourism] sector, because they've had a tough few years, particularly post-pandemic. 'If we can reassure the [tourism] sector that we can work on a scheme that benefits inward tourism, it benefits more tourists to come, I think they'd be supportive of it as well.' Officials estimate that a levy could raise significant amounts of cash for local services and the tourism industry. For example, should the UK follow in the footsteps of Paris, which charges visitors up to €16 per night in premium hotels, or Barcelona, which adds up to €4 a night plus a regional fee, an extra £240 million could be generated annually. This is on the basis of adding a 5% tax to overnight stays, according to Euro Weekly. In short, no. English local authorities can't introduce their own tourist taxes,it needs to go through Parliament instead. Legislation to Parliament would have to be introduced for this to happen. However, some UK local authority areas, including Manchester and Liverpool, have established Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) which cover tourism-related businesses. These are legal loopholes, and are operated by local organisations, meaning they can collect levies in their areas. 'If London were to impose a tourist tax, it would probably be similar to the charge on overnight stays currently implemented in places like Manchester,' says Shulka. So even though an overnight fee could be charged, day visitors are unlikely to be affected. Like we mentioned earlier, to prevent overtourism, cities like Venice have imposed fees for day visitors. But in London's case, Shulka says the main motivation would likely be different, specifically generating funds to improve tourism infrastructure upgrades and city services. Shulka adds: 'I think one of the reasons why day-trippers don't typically pay a tourist tax is that they spend only a few hours in the city and therefore use fewer public resources compared to overnight visitors.' Since they don't stay in paid accommodation, they aren't charged through the usual channels. Finally, for day-trippers to be affected, Shulka states that policies targeting them would need to be implemented. This includes things like tourist passes, access fees or visitor registrations. Over on Reddit, there's a huge discussion about the idea of a tourist tax, and as you would expect, the reviews are mixed. More Trending Many Londoners are for a tax, making the point that they have to pay it in other European cities, so why not here? 'Some visitors are surprised when they find out they don't owe tourist tax,' one person adds. 'Yes please. And then ring fence that money to go back into benefiting the local economy. Some new trains for the Bakerloo Line would be nice! Or some new cycle lanes,' another says. A Barcelona resident was also positive about a London tax: 'As a tourist, I wouldn't mind that extra fee.' They continued, saying that their Spanish city has it, and 'regardless of the real use of the money that it generates, it's not a barrier for tourists.' Another tourist agrees: 'I would pay it gladly every time I visit London (and I try to do it a couple of times a year at least). Others were a little more sceptical, saying they would support it if they could guarantee that the money would benefit Londoners. However, some were straight up against it, citing that hotels are 'already overpriced', so 'the answer isn't to drive them further away.' Do you have a story to share? Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@ MORE: Man unleashes smoke grenades and sledgehammer in raid on Mayfair hotel MORE: Heaven nightclub bouncer cleared of rape charge MORE: British flight attendant 'in tears' in court accused of smuggling 46kg of drugs
Spectator
13 hours ago
- Politics
- Spectator
Should cannabis be decriminalised?
London Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan has called for possession of small amounts of cannabis to be decriminalised following a report by the London Drugs Commission. The report has made 42 recommendations, which include removing natural cannabis from the Misuse of Drugs Act. Former cabinet minister, now Labour peer, Charlie Falconer and Tory MP Dr Neil Shastri-Hurst join Lucy Dunn to discuss whether now is the time to decriminalise cannabis. For Lord Falconer, who chaired the Commission, the present law doesn't work and he explains the principles behind the review; Neil, however, believes that the proposals send the wrong message that cannabis is harmless. He argues that a balance needs to be found between robust enforcement and compassion for families and friends also affected by the behaviour of drug users. They both agree on the diagnosis, but how do you combat the issue? Produced by Patrick Gibbons.
The Guardian
14 hours ago
- Health
- The Guardian
Worried about weed: should London follow New York and decriminalise cannabis?
The last time London dabbled in decriminalising cannabis, it brought one part of the capital to a brief but giddy high. In 2001, an enterprising Scotland Yard borough commander empowered his officers in Lambeth to caution rather than arrest those carrying small amounts of the drug for personal use – freeing them, according to the scheme's proponents, to concentrate on more serious crimes. The softly-softly approach was controversial in some political and policing quarters, but wildly popular in the borough – and some of its results were dramatic. Over six months, more than 2,500 hours of police officers' time were saved on processing cannabis arrests, while arrests for dealing class A drugs rose by almost a fifth. Non-drug crime fell by 9% overall, with sharp declines in burglaries and street robberies. Almost two-thirds thought it had improved relations between the police and the community. The Lambeth experiment would end after a year, however, after the man behind it, Brian Paddick, was transferred following newspaper allegations about his private life – later acknowledged to be false. Lambeth's residents may have been dismayed, organising public meetings and petitions to call for Paddick's reinstatement ('He's not a very naughty boy, he's the Messiah,' read one poster) but Metropolitan police plans to introduce the measures across the capital were quietly shelved. Almost a quarter of a century on, could decriminalisation be back on the cards for London? Sadiq Khan this week indicated his support, after an independent commission into cannabis regulation, promised by the mayor in his 2021 election manifesto, published its findings. Classifying cannabis as a class B drug was disproportionate to its harms, it said, and the sanctions users were subject to for personal possession 'cannot be justified'. Instead, the panel recommended, 'natural' (but not synthetic) forms of the drug should be re-classified, allowing Londoners to use small quantities without penalty. They did not, however, call for full legalisation: those producing or supplying the drug would still be breaking the law. The move, the report said, would have the important added benefit of addressing racial inequalities in the way the Met polices cannabis possession by stop and search. Black people are nine times more likely to be stopped and searched by the police, according to 2021 figures – but are no more likely to be carrying cannabis. 'It is clear a fundamental reset is required,' said the commission's chair, Lord Falconer, and Khan agreed: 'I've long been clear that we need fresh thinking on how to reduce the substantial harms associated with drug-related crime in our communities.' As both men know, however, the mayor has no power to change drugs laws in the capital, and the government was quick to slap down any such suggestion. 'We have no intention of reclassifying cannabis from a class B substance under the Misuse of Drugs Act,' the Home Office said in a statement. The fact that, 24 years after the Lambeth experiment, the debate over cannabis feels so familiar may be a feature of the drug's ambivalent place in British consciousness. Legislators may be immovable on the issue today, but cannabis was briefly reclassified as a less harmful class C drug in 2004, only to be moved back to class B five years later – arguably, the report suggests, for political reasons. The British public are broadly in favour of loosening restrictions – but not overwhelmingly so. A YouGov poll this week found 54% supported decriminalising cannabis possession for personal use, with 34% opposed and 13% unsure. Asked if decriminalisation would lead to more drug use, almost exactly the same proportion (42%) said yes as those who said it would make no difference (43%). While almost a third of people have tried it at some point, cannabis use is actually falling across England and Wales – particularly sharply in London, where the proportion of those aged 16-59 who had used the drug in the past year was 6.2% in 2022-3, compared with 14.3% in 2001-2. From a health point of view, discussion of the harms of cannabis is nuanced. 'If you're looking at harm at a population level, the vast majority of the millions of people who've ever smoked cannabis in this country since the Beatles have not come to any real harm,' noted Harry Shapiro, director of the drug information service DrugWise. But while most health professionals agree that a low or moderate use of the drug is likely to be minimally harmful for most people, others are anxious to emphasise the risk to a minority, especially from the much stronger forms of the drug that increasingly dominate the market. Dr Emily Finch, chair of the addictions faculty at the Royal College of Psychiatrists (RCPsych), said: 'It's obvious to say that many people with cannabis have no problems at all, but there are several circumstances where it can be incredibly dangerous.' Most seriously, for a small proportion, she continued, cannabis greatly increases the risks of developing psychosis, but even among other users, there can be other risks. 'People say – would tell you – that cannabis isn't addictive. There's really good evidence that that isn't true, and that there is a significant group, maybe 5% of cannabis users, who do become dependent on cannabis use.' In addition, she said: 'We need to understand that it's not helpful for 11- to 15-year-olds to use large amounts of cannabis.' About a third of people who use cannabis develop a problem with the drug at some point in their lives, according to the RCPsych. The drug's increasing potency in the market has significantly increased the risk of it causing psychosis and other harms, agrees Sir Robin Murray, professor of psychiatric research at King's College London. 'People need to know that cannabis, particularly modern cannabis, is a risky drug to take every day … Probably a couple of joints at the weekend is not going to do you much harm, but certainly daily cannabis carries an increased risk. If you take skunk-like cannabis every day, you're about nine or 10 times more likely to go psychotic.' Finch broadly rejects the suggestion that cannabis is a gateway drug to stronger substances, however: 'For some people, it might be part of a pattern of overall illicit drug use but I don't think that's necessarily the case. For many people, it isn't.' Perhaps the most striking thing about Britain's agonised discussions of its drug laws is the degree to which the country is increasingly an international outlier. In recent years, Portugal, South Africa, and Luxembourg, the Australian Capital Territory and many states in the US are among places to have partially decriminalised or fully legalised recreational cannabis use and, in some cases, permitted the development of a new, entirely legal market. 'Cannabis is a commodity, it is circulated in markets and has a supply chain,' said Toby Seddon, professor of social science at University College London, who has researched international models of regulation and advised Khan's commission. 'The question we have as societies is: how do you want to regulate this? For the last 100 years, we've regulated it through using the criminal law. And we've observed how that's worked and not worked. 'If you prohibit something, you're trying to reduce it to as close to zero as possible. And that manifestly hasn't worked because it's still really easy under prohibition to get hold of cannabis.' Which has led many other countries to try another way. Non-medical cannabis is legal in Canada, where the federal government controls production licences but each territory can decide how it manages its sale. In Uruguay, the first country to legalise cannabis sales in 2013 to counter drug-related crime, there is a state-run, not-for-profit model, in which the government issues licences, sets prices and oversees the potency of products. Germany legislated last year to permit individual consumption and cultivation, though critics say its implementation has been hampered by red tape. A similar critique has also been levelled in New York, where recreational marijuana use was legalised in 2021. For a measure of how far apart the UK and US are on this issue, it is striking to recall that Kamala Harris, three weeks before last year's presidential election, pledged to fully legalise recreational marijuana at the federal level if elected; Donald Trump too has said he would support the measure in Florida. Any move towards that position in Britain, let alone Seddon's suggestion that the UK should nationalise cannabis production and control its sale as a state-run enterprise, seems inconceivable at present, as he acknowledged. As a result of that, he said, 'you might think, this [report] is just a waste of time. 'But you could also make a case that these things, in the long run, contribute to turning the dial a little bit,' he added. A similar critique, Seddon pointed out, was made of a major study in Canada in the 1970s that recommended legalising personal use and was largely ignored by the then prime minister, Pierre Trudeau. Decades later, his son Justin steered a similar measure into law.
