There is no bar to becoming a Londoner. You don’t need to be born here, pass a test or even play the Tube station game. But certain traits unite us. With nine million people living in an area of roughly 600 square miles, getting along with each other is something of a pre-requisite.
Faith leaders, the mayor and MPs have come together, urging Londoners to stand united this Armistice weekend and demonstrate our city remains a beacon of hope and a sanctuary of freedom, as it has been for centuries.
London is big enough and self-confident enough to make room for more than one event — to commemorate Armistice Day and facilitate a protest further to the west. What we will never tolerate is hatred and harassment, which have sadly flourished in recent weeks.
What is needed more than anything, this weekend and into the future, is respect: for neighbours, colleagues and strangers. There will always be those who wish to divide us for political gain. We mustn’t let them.
Suella in the balance
The Home Secretary’s job hangs in the balance. In the space of an opinion column — one not signed off by No 10 — Suella Braverman managed to alienate the Prime Minister, the police and the people of Northern Ireland, among others.
Some see a clear attempt by a Cabinet minister to court the votes of the Conservative Party membership should a vacancy arise next year. Others suspect there is no plan at all. Either way, the Home Secretary, the minister responsible for law and order, at a time of heightened community tensions, is adding fuel to the fire.
Next week, the Supreme Court will rule on the legality of the Rwanda scheme. Defeat would likely to lead further misguided calls for Britain to leave the European Convention on Human Rights. The Home Secretary could lead them. That would require her to leave the front bench, something she may perceive as a tactical victory. The public may well share that view.
Keep our children fed
The Standard’s award-winning School Hunger campaign not only revealed the plight of 800,000 children in England who live in poverty but are ineligible for school meals, it also had tangible results, with the Mayor agreeing to fund free school meals for all primary school students.
The scheme has been a great success, but funding is not guaranteed for more than the first year. Sadiq Khan and his Tory challenger, Susan Hall, want it to be extended but City Hall must wait for its full settlement with the Government, due just before Christmas, before plans can be finalised.
Ensuring children have enough to eat so they can learn is a non-negotiable. Let’s make the scheme permanent.
