City Hall Conservatives REFUSE to rubber-stamp Sadiq Khan's Crime Czar
Kaya Comer-Schwartz thought her confirmation hearing was going to be a walk in the park. In Sadiq Khan’s London, even a confirmation hearing is perilous.
It’s been a busy week here at City Hall: we’ve been getting to know the nominee for the Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime, ex-Leader of Islington Council Kaya Comer-Schwartz. The Corbyn ally sat for an hour and a half as Members went through her CV and asked her about her previous experience. In the end, even the Labour Assembly Members decided not to support formally approving her - writing a long letter about her lack of experience. Read more below.
SUSAN HALL FINALLY GETS AN APOLOGY
Our new Deputy Mayor called Susan Hall AM a “racist” and “climate change denier” during the Mayoral Election. Now face-to-face, Lord Bailey AM gave Mrs Comer-Schwartz the opportunity to apologise for her words three times.
She waffled on and refused, until Susan’s powerful intervention on the impact it has had and still has on her life. Politics can take its toll, and we’re so proud of Susan for being able to speak out honestly about the impact that accusations like this have. Watch now:
KHAN’S FREE SCHOOL MEALS PLEDGE MAY NOT ACTUALLY HAPPEN
At Oversight committee this week, Alessandro Georgiou AM pressed City Hall officials on Sadiq Khan’s free school meals pledge, which the Mayor promised would happen for the duration of his mayoralty. Pressed on how this was funded, authorities were forced to admit that the money may be taken away, and as such the Mayor can’t commit to pledge the full four years with any certainty!
IT’S NOT ABOUT BREXIT OR THE PANDEMIC, SAYS EMMA BEST
Speaking on BBC Politics London about her groundbreaking industry-led report, Emma Best AM quickly puts to bed the idea that national factors like Brexit or the pandemic are to blame for London’s dire nightlife. The Mayor can claim that the number of licenced venues are going up, but shops and gyms aren’t nightlife and the decline in the capital lays solely at the feet of Sadiq Khan and Amy Lamé:
BOB BLACKMAN TAKES TAYLOR SWIFT STORY TO PARLIAMENT
Our thanks go out this week to Bob Blackman MP who went to Cabinet Office Questions in Parliament to ask about our demands for an enquiry into the Taylor Swift ticket scandal. Standing in the Chamber, Mr Blackman asked the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster to support calls for an enquiry into Ms Swift’s VVIP escort, and all he got was a weaselly non-answer. We won’t stop pushing for justice!