It is no exaggeration to suggest that London is the most successful example of multiculturalism anywhere in the world. A city of roughly nine million people of every ethnicity, every religion and none, where more than 300 languages are spoken and people from all over the world call home. Our diversity is our strength.
Of course, problems persist. Latest Home Office figures show that religious and transgender hate crimes rose last year (2022-23). That comes despite a five per cent drop in the overall number of hate crimes. The statistics reveal 8,378 religious hate crimes, an increase of nine per cent on the year, with Muslims followed by Jewish people the worst affected. Offences against transgender people rose 11 per cent.
Crimes of this nature can not only have a devastating impact on victims, they are an affront to the city itself. No one should be targeted, intimidated or made to feel inferior because of the colour of their skin, the person they love, or the place in which they worship. Perpetrators of such crimes must be prosecuted and dealt with severely by the courts. Hatred will not be tolerated in London.
A city in mourning
As a community mourns, it comes together. And among the thousands who gathered in south London to pay tribute to the life of 15-year-old Elianne Andam was the grime artist Stormzy.
The tragedy involving Elianne, who died after being stabbed on her way to school last Wednesday, has shaken our city. Her mother described her daughter as someone who “loved living life to the fullest” and who had ambitions to become a lawyer. That can now never happen.
Elianne’s family will never again be whole. But our responsibility as a society is to stay together, and from City Hall to central government, schools and community groups, is to give young people the tools to make better decisions for themselves and others. The only alternative is more days like today.
New-look Euston
Euston, we have lift-off — of sorts. A new development zone will be established at the HS2 site, charged with building thousands of new homes, spaces for businesses all while we have confirmation the line will at least no longer terminate at Old Oak Common.
There are still many questions to answer and disappointments over the cancellation of the track to Manchester. But the wider transformation of Euston has the potential to do to the local area what we have witnessed in nearby Coal Drops Yard in King’s Cross and Battersea Power Station. Now let’s get it built.
