London’s long-serving mayor, Sadiq Khan, experienced the ups and downs of politics last week in what could be a critical point in the electoral cycle. He was able to enjoy a full-throated attack on his newly minted Conservative rival for the mayoral election in 2024, but he then was blamed when the Labour Party failed to win the Uxbridge by-election.
It was a week that served to remind all that the mayor of this global city has, at best, a patchy record, one that could be exploited by a challenger with a fresh vision for Britain’s international hub. Yet re-election in 2024 to an unprecedented third term in the post looks straightforward for Mr Khan despite the scare Labour suffered with an upset hold for the Conservatives in outer London’s Uxbridge.
Mr Khan’s signature initiative – a “clean up the air” push with the so-called Ulez scheme that involves expanding a tax on polluting vehicles – is being blamed for Labour’s defeat in Uxbridge.
The choice of Susan Hall as the Tory candidate brings a veteran of local politics into the fray. Her “Safer with Susan” slogan gives a glimpse of how she hopes to appeal to voters. Despite her experience, she is lacking when under pressure, appearing unsettled by the softer questions such as “what is your worst trait”?
Labour’s early attack lines are simple and drawn from her own Twitter timeline. It highlighted her support for Liz Truss and Donald Trump as well as comments that tagged entire ethnic minorities.
The runes, then, are that the current mayor is a formidable politician who should not be troubled next year. Many Londoners would be content with this outcome. With a new biography out, Mr Khan tells the important story of his rise not only as the child of Muslim immigrant parents through the legal profession but also within the Labour Party’s factions.
His authenticity as a resident Londoner, who has, for example, been exposed to late-onset asthma from the preponderance of diesel vehicles in the capital, is well accepted.
Time spent at panels, such as the one organised by the London School of Economics, has granted the mayor a platform for his biography. It also allowed a Labour insider to sideswipe him for promoting his book, not win votes on Thursday.
What his CV is lacking is a sense of a city that’s kept its buzz, and that aspect of London’s future is the world’s business and cultural interest in the city.
As the rise of Boris Johnson showed, the London mayor’s job is one of national importance. It can also open up an international following. Both Mr Johnson and Ken Livingstone, the first mayor, captured global attention with favourite projects such as the London Eye and the bike rental scheme still known as Boris Bikes.
Without the surprise entry of a third-party candidate in next year’s mayoral election, there will be an absence of the futuristic in the forthcoming campaign. That is a great pity because London needs a shot in the arm from something novel.
How much better it would be if digital forces were brought to bear on the city’s government. What if City Hall could be rededicated to the idea that technology can transform how the UK is run? A leader who offered public goods such as digitally secure accessible services could light up London’s reputation.
A fizzier personality could provoke people into exploring how London could be better. This is a poisoned chalice if ever there was one, but after Brexit and the exhaustion of a decade-long property boom, standing up for ideas such as real digital citizenship could be the global boost London needs.
What Mr Khan's CV is lacking is a sense of a city that’s kept its buzz
The current City Hall is managerial rather than trailblazing. Take, for example, Mr Khan’s highest-profile international role. The mayor is a leader in the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group, a global platform that includes the likes of Toronto, Los Angeles, Cape Town and other large conurbations. The forum’s primary role is to put its stamp on responding to climate change, liveability and the 15-minute city.
In the kindest possible way, however, this does not put London out in front of the crowd but slips it into the herd. Offering leadership in the pack is not an alternative to the pursuit of a standout vision. This means questions about how London can, as it has always or often done, leapfrog the rest are set in the shade. What then happens to London setting the pace for the world?
The “us versus the rest” mentality has served the UK capital so well. Should not the others seek to emulate the trendsetter?
Now more than ever, London not only has its perpetual rivalry with Paris and New York. It is also in danger of failing to recognise the undoubted challenges of Dubai and Singapore. From a European perspective, the claims of Berlin cannot be discounted. What of New Delhi, Shanghai and Tokyo in a world of fragmentation?
The mayor need not be an avatar for London, but imposing its unique flair on how it becomes the digital city is a very different concept from what has gone before. The vision of the mayor needs to immediately be touchable and capable of unleashing opportunity at every corner. Residents need to spot it and order it. The world should be rushing to beat it.
That opportunity is what is missing as the 2024 mayoral campaign gets under way.
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
Roll of honour 2019-2020
Dubai Rugby Sevens
Winners: Dubai Hurricanes
Runners up: Bahrain
West Asia Premiership
Winners: Bahrain
Runners up: UAE Premiership
UAE Premiership
Winners: Dubai Exiles
Runners up: Dubai Hurricanes
UAE Division One
Winners: Abu Dhabi Saracens
Runners up: Dubai Hurricanes II
UAE Division Two
Winners: Barrelhouse
Runners up: RAK Rugby
ICC T20 Team of 2021
Jos Buttler, Mohammad Rizwan, Babar Azam, Aiden Markram, Mitchell Marsh, David Miller, Tabraiz Shamsi, Josh Hazlewood, Wanindu Hasaranga, Mustafizur Rahman, Shaheen Afridi
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Switch%20Foods%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202022%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounder%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Edward%20Hamod%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Abu%20Dhabi%2C%20UAE%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Plant-based%20meat%20production%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2034%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%246.5%20million%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%20round%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Seed%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Based%20in%20US%20and%20across%20Middle%20East%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Profile of Tamatem
Date started: March 2013
Founder: Hussam Hammo
Based: Amman, Jordan
Employees: 55
Funding: $6m
Funders: Wamda Capital, Modern Electronics (part of Al Falaisah Group) and North Base Media
Stormy seas
Weather warnings show that Storm Eunice is soon to make landfall. The videographer and I are scrambling to return to the other side of the Channel before it does. As we race to the port of Calais, I see miles of wire fencing topped with barbed wire all around it, a silent ‘Keep Out’ sign for those who, unlike us, aren’t lucky enough to have the right to move freely and safely across borders.
We set sail on a giant ferry whose length dwarfs the dinghies migrants use by nearly a 100 times. Despite the windy rain lashing at the portholes, we arrive safely in Dover; grateful but acutely aware of the miserable conditions the people we’ve left behind are in and of the privilege of choice.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
UK-EU trade at a glance
EU fishing vessels guaranteed access to UK waters for 12 years
Co-operation on security initiatives and procurement of defence products
Youth experience scheme to work, study or volunteer in UK and EU countries
Smoother border management with use of e-gates
Cutting red tape on import and export of food
Globalization and its Discontents Revisited
Joseph E. Stiglitz
W. W. Norton & Company
Company Profile
Founder: Omar Onsi
Launched: 2018
Employees: 35
Financing stage: Seed round ($12 million)
Investors: B&Y, Phoenician Funds, M1 Group, Shorooq Partners
Cricket World Cup League 2 Fixtures
Saturday March 5, UAE v Oman, ICC Academy (all matches start at 9.30am)
Sunday March 6, Oman v Namibia, ICC Academy
Tuesday March 8, UAE v Namibia, ICC Academy
Wednesday March 9, UAE v Oman, ICC Academy
Friday March 11, Oman v Namibia, Sharjah Cricket Stadium
Saturday March 12, UAE v Namibia, Sharjah Cricket Stadium
UAE squad
Ahmed Raza (captain), Chirag Suri, Muhammad Waseem, CP Rizwan, Vriitya Aravind, Asif Khan, Basil Hameed, Rohan Mustafa, Kashif Daud, Zahoor Khan, Junaid Siddique, Karthik Meiyappan, Akif Raja, Rahul Bhatia
MATCH INFO
Osasuna 1 Real Madrid 4
Osasuna: García (14')
Real Madrid: Isco (33'), Ramos (38'), Vázquez (84'), Jovic (90' 2)
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Gothia Cup 2025
4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
RESULTS
6.30pm: Emirates Holidays Maiden (TB) Dh 82,500 (Dirt) 1,900m
Winner: Lady Snazz, Richard Mullen (jockey), Satish Seemar (trainer).
7.05pm: Arabian Adventures Maiden (TB) Dh 82,500 (D) 1,200m
Winner: Zhou Storm, Connor Beasley, Ali Rashid Al Raihe.
7.40pm: Emirates Skywards Handicap (TB) Dh 82,500 (D) 1,200m
Winner: Rich And Famous, Royston Ffrench, Salem bin Ghadayer.
8.15pm: Emirates Airline Conditions (TB) Dh 120,000 (D) 1,400m
Winner: Rio Angie, Sam Hitchcock, Doug Watson.
8.50pm: Emirates Sky Cargo (TB) Dh 92,500 (D) 1,400m
Winner: Kinver Edge, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar.
9.15pm: Emirates.com (TB) Dh 95,000 (D) 2,000m
Winner: Firnas, Xavier Ziani, Salem bin Ghadayer.
The specs
Engine: 5.0-litre supercharged V8
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Power: 575bhp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: Dh554,000
On sale: now
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Ultra processed foods
- Carbonated drinks, sweet or savoury packaged snacks, confectionery, mass-produced packaged breads and buns
- margarines and spreads; cookies, biscuits, pastries, cakes, and cake mixes, breakfast cereals, cereal and energy bars;
- energy drinks, milk drinks, fruit yoghurts and fruit drinks, cocoa drinks, meat and chicken extracts and instant sauces
- infant formulas and follow-on milks, health and slimming products such as powdered or fortified meal and dish substitutes,
- many ready-to-heat products including pre-prepared pies and pasta and pizza dishes, poultry and fish nuggets and sticks, sausages, burgers, hot dogs, and other reconstituted meat products, powdered and packaged instant soups, noodles and desserts.
