In its long history, London’s prestige has never been greater. Since overcoming post-war decline, it has established itself as one of the world’s pre-eminent cities: a political, economic and cultural powerhouse. Its population is forecast to reach ten million by 2030, and by the end of this decade the capital will account for a quarter of the UK’s GDP. Its universities, sports teams, galleries and restaurants are world-renowned. Britain has no greater global asset.
But, for too many Londoners, it has become a gilded cage. A febrile housing market has made property ever less affordable. As many as 430,000 households, representing nearly a million people, spend more than half of their income on housing. London’s air is among the most polluted of any European city, the cause of 9,500 premature deaths a year. Its transport system struggles to support a rising population and its fares are the most expensive in the world. It has become a playground for a deracinated, transnational plutocracy.
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