Mason Edward Goodchild, Clockwork Liveryman Jani Levanen, Plastic Man Gerard O’Sullivan & Barrister David Williams Stand In Farringdon Within City Council By-Election

On the same day as the national election in the UK on 4 July 2024, there is a local council by-election in the City of London’s Farringdon Within ward. Below we provide a rundown of the four candidates – Edward Goodchild, Jani Levanen, Gerard O’Sullivan and David Williams. All are standing as ‘independents’. There is […]

City of London Chief Planning Officer Gwyn Richards Exposed As A Political Poodle

Following our disclosure that the Chief Planning Officer of the City of London council, Gwyn Richards, approved a new application for the redevelopment of 81 Newgate Street, the former BT headquarters which is now to be the headquarters of HSBC, in only 11 weeks over the summer holiday season last year and without bringing the application to the planning committee, and following our quoting the Chair of Policy (= leader of the council), Chris Hayward, telling City planning officers to “make it [the planning process] work for” developers, Alder Sue Pearson raised both matters in a question to Richards in a recent meeting of the Planning Committee. His response exposes him as a poodle of the City council’s political establishment, which in turn is a poodle of property developers. In no other local authority would such brazen promotion of private interests to public detriment be tolerated. A showdown is looming between the establishment and City residents over the London Wall West office development, which Richards is certain to recommend for approval, as he always does.

On The 30 November 2023 Portsoken Aldermanic Election Candidates Nazifa Chowdhury & Prem Goyal

The current Portsoken aldermanic election offers a clear choice between a candidate who will promote the interests of local residents and SMEs and make the City a better place for everyone (Chowdhury), and one looking to advance his own career by siding with the City of London council leadership against the interests of local residents and SMEs (Goyal). Who to vote for is a no brainer!

Nick Lyons, Lord Mayor Of The City Of London, Overstays His Term In Office

Nick Lyons has stayed in office as an alderman and Lord Mayor for two months after his term of office as an alderman expired in September 2023. He apparently hoped that no-one would notice, or – if they did – would not say anything about this rule bending, given the cultish deference that many City elected members display towards those in “high” office. That hope may have been fulfilled had not Alderwoman Martha Grekos called out his casual disrespect for the rule of law.

At Least 2 Conservatives Among The 9 Standing As ‘Independents’ In The Langbourn Aldermanic Election On 2 November 2023

Elections in the City of London often appear ridiculous due to the tiny electorate. There are 9 contenders in the upcoming aldermanic election in Langbourn, so there around 70 voters per candidate. We suspect that most, if not all, the Langbourn candidates are more interested in becoming lord mayor – an office that should be abolished – than strengthening public services or playing a role in democratically reforming the last rotten borough. Nonetheless, below we provide a run down of the 9 ‘independent’ candidates in Langbourn. The aldermanic post is available because David Wootton isn’t standing for re-election – we’re glad to see him go! That said, his replacement may be no better….

Alderwoman Jennette Newman & Her Blank Register Of Pecuniary Interests

The register of pecuniary interests of City of London Alderwoman Jennette Newman has remained blank since we drew attention to this issue seven months ago. But don’t expect anyone in authority in this council to do anything about non-compliance by this, or any other, establishment member. And don’t expect the notorious “independent persons” to entertain a complaint if one is made about her: they’re there to “empathise” with the council – in practice, with its establishment – at the expense of upholding the members’ code of conduct.

Another Rotten Borough ‘Election’: William Russell & The Bread Street Aldermanic Contest On 7 September 2023

It is an undemocratic custom in the City for incumbent aldermen seeking re-election to be allowed to retain their office uncontested – but while this is a frequent occurrence, sometimes someone has the bravery to go against it. Of the losing candidates in the Castle Baynard aldermanic election earlier this month – where the incumbent didn’t seek re-election – we’d view Desirée Artesi as best placed to stand against William Russell. On paper she appears to be a very strong candidate, although she ran a poor campaign in Castle Baynard. That said, Castle Baynard was Artesi’s first attempt to gain office at the City council – we’d assume she learned a lot about campaigning from it and will be a far more formidable candidate in any future elections she choses to contest.

Castle Baynard Aldermanic Election Dirty Tricks Have Been Reported To The Police

Campaigning for the election of an alderman of Castle Baynard ward in the City of London on 13 July 2023 has taken an ugly turn. It is reported that certain persons are making false statements designed to sway voters (which is a criminal offence) about Martha Grekos, who is the favourite to win, but also the candidate whom the establishment of the City Corporation least wants to be the new alderman. Even voters nominated by large businesses – who typically take little interest in City politics – may now decide to vote for Grekos as someone who has the courage to stand up against a culture in the City Corporation that ought to belong to history.

By-Election Results From Castle Baynard & Cripplegate Underline The Urgent Need For Democratic Reform In The City Of London

Given that the leader of the City of London council Chris Hayward has been personally involved in a drive to register yet more undemocratic business voters in the Castle Baynard ward, the 11.9% turnout for the 23 March 2023 by-election there leaves the policy chair with yet more egg on his face. Only in a rotten borough like the City of London would a seat in the ward currently most likely to elect opposition councillors to a nominally ‘non-partisan’ council be left vacant for nearly 5 months longer than its equivalent post in Castle Baynard, where a Guildhall establishment ‘man’ was much more likely to be elected if opposition candidates weren’t given time to organise. If the Guildhall establishment can organise an election in a week or two in Castle Baynard, they can do it anywhere, they just prefer not to in a ward like Cripplegate where they’re unlikely to see a candidate they favour returned.

Jennette Newman’s Register Of Interests & Transparency At The City Of London Council

The only entries on Jennette Newman’s register of interests – as completed on 19 July 2022 and unchanged as of 9 February 2023 – are memberships of the Worshipful Company of Insurers, the Aldgate Ward Club and The Law Society. There are no employment entries and this is probably misleading since according to Companies House (scroll down this link), Newman was a designated LLP member at Ince Gordon Dadds AP LLP (OC400008) at the time she completed her register of interests – having been appointed on 1 December 2021, resigned on 31 December 2022. The paucity of the information on Newman’s City of London council profile and register of interests reflects a general lack of transparency at the council. It seems unlikely we’ll see real transparency from either this council or its members until it is democratically reformed and the business vote is abolished.

RECLAIM EC1

No To Business Votes, Yes To Democracy!

alderwoman