London to Scotland in under three hours? Well you could go Ryanair and enjoy the bum-rush for seats at Stansted, the teeth-gritting discomfort, and the faint but palpable sense of guilt at your carbon footprint. Or you could jump in Jeremy Clarkson's motor and see if he can repeat his 186mph Limehouse Link dash up the M6. However, the future may herald another way. According to "secret" talks between the UK and Scottish governments,......

Our lonely PM's glowering grimace doesn't lend itself easily to sympathy, but it would take a heart as hard as granite (or Granita, even) not to feel for Gordon Brown's plight. Having spent ten years waiting for the top job, in just ten months of Brownism Labour finds itself rudderless, mauled in the local elections and turfed out of City Hall. Yesterday was Brown's first appearance in Parliament since last week's calamities, and he......

The police are still at it. Naughty use of credit cards that is. You’d think they’d’ve learned, having already featured on the Londonist rogues’ gallery. Time to start getting your act together, Team T5. It’s gone beyond a (early April Fools) joke. A woman has been killed following a police chase that went wrong in Bethnal Green. To strike or not to strike? Tube talks are underway. David Cameron is to back Boris. Now......

The blink-or-you'll-miss-it honeymoon that Gordon Brown enjoyed last summer seems a lifetime ago. Amidst the Northern Rock fiasco, poll drubbings by the Tories and an economy on the turn, along comes another, devastating blow to the PM's authority: Madam Tussauds has declared that he is "too obscure" to merit a waxwork. The Marylebone tourist magnet has announced that they will not be making a waxwork of Brown for their World Leaders department, citing his......

This weekend column is brought to you by the founders of Niceties Tokens, Liz and Pete of Team Nice. 19. Spinning Argh! No wonder there is apathy. At the time of writing this, a general election is still undecided, although if Gordon Brown goes ahead with it, it could lead to a really exciting time. They are going to really be schmoozing us lot, as our demographic are least likely to vote. In preparation......

This weekend column is brought to you by the founders of Niceties Tokens, Liz and Pete of Team Nice. 15. Poll-itics II Last week we did a little poll about what people thought was important to some of the topical political parties. What is the most important thing to our political parties then? There is so much information on these parties that it is tricky to tell. But from a quick look at their......

After seven years of speculation and debate, London today finally unveiled its tribute to Nelson Mandela. The 9’ high, 1 tonne statue was unveiled by the man himself in the presence of an impressive cast of London’s ‘great and good’, including Gordon Brown, David Cameron, Ken Livingstone and Lord Richard Attenborough. The proceedings were watched by a vast and cheering crowd, and overseen by Disraeli, Churchill, Lincoln and former South African leader Jan Smuts from......

Once it became evident that someone the chap in the street had actually heard of was willing to go forward, the Conservatives closed nominations for their 2008 London mayoral candidate last Monday. Former Met Commissioner John Stevens, rubber-lipped former Defence Sec Michael Portillo, ex-PM 'Sir' John Major, sacked BBC D-G Greg Dyke and, erm, Nick Ferrari had all resisted the overtures of David Cameron for some reason best known to themselves and their future......

It's by-election day in Ealing Southall. The West London constituency is bereft of a representative following the death of Piara Kabra. The Labour politician was the UK's oldest at 82. Twelve hopefuls are vying for victory. Virenda Kumar Sharma is the Labour candidate, while Nigel Bakhai stands for the Lib Dems. Tony Lit, meanwhile, represents 'David Cameron's Conservatives'. What? Is that to distinguish them from Gordon Brown's Conservatives? Or is it some kind of......

Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson, MP for Henley, journalist, historian, author and everyone’s favourite upper-class twit is being considered as the Conservative candidate for London’s mayor. After being questioned on whether he would like to run in 2008 against Mayor Ken, Boris enthusiastically harumphed, "Being Mayor of London would be a fantastic job and anyone who loves London would want to consider the possibility very carefully." He went on to state that he does......

This is a new weekend column brought to you by the founders of Niceties Tokens, Liz and Pete of Team Nice. 5. Testing, Testing So the Nice Movement is a political movement that aims to target and reduce anti-social behaviour. That term 'anti social behaviour' conjures up images of seriously mean looking children wearing hoodies as proudly as their ASBO status. But as the home office defines, anti-social behaviour is much more than that:......

So, Sarko finally beat Sego. As France faces a brave new dawn under Nicolas Sarkozy, our own Premier is also looking to the future as an announcement is expected on Thursday of removal vans heading for No.10. Tony Blair is always fond of new things, even going so far as to try out a new name for his own political party. Eager not to miss out on this weekend's 'newness' and 'frenchness', he has......

Noel Gallagher yesterday did an about face on the reacharound he gave Tony Blair ten years ago and said that the PM hadn't quite lived up to expectations. Isn't it nice when the musical establishment has its finger pressed so hard on the political pulse that they can find the time to point this kind of thing out to us? "Nobody ever mentions Labour, they mention Tony Blair now. Everything is Tony Blair's fault.......

Hang the DJ, Hang the DJ, Hang the DJ, Hang the DJ, Hang the DJ, Hang the DJ, Hang the DJ, Hang the DJ, Hang the DJ... Oh sorry. We were just listening to David Cameron's favourite band, The Smiths. Bit of an odd choice then that he'd settle on Mike 'I'm a Celebrity Vote Me In Here' Read as a candidate for London Mayor: Mr Read said he was seeking financial backers after......

David Cameron is trying to get an election as soon as possible. 7000 bags are still missing after problems at Heathrow on Sunday night. Bookings at Halal restaurants have gone up by 300%. Get driving. The congestion charge will be lifted between Dec 23 and January 1 inclusive. And finally, with Shaun Keaveney off to XFM, Alex Zane is your new host of XFM Friday breakfast. Photo taken from Fabio Venni's photostream.......

The most beloved Christmas tree in the UK, perhaps the biggest, certainly the one with the most royalty hanging off the boughs, is returning to Trafalgar Square this evening at 5.45pm. As traditional and eagerly anticipated as the lucky loose change embedded in grandma's Christmas pudding, the enormous Picea abies aka Norwegian spruce, often over 20 metres high, is given to London by Norway each year as a gesture of gratitude for British support......

1940 St. Paul's is hit by bombs. One myth of the Battle of Britain was that St Paul's Cathedral remained untouched (Churchill had insisted on it). However, the cathedral was hit on this day in 1940 (and again on April 17th 1941) and the Choir Stalls and Altar were badly damaged. On September 12th 1940, a time-delayed bomb which had struck the Cathedral was successfully defused and removed by a Bomb Disposal detachment of......

The Electoral Commission have today revealed the findings of their investigations into the cash for honours row, and it makes for an interesting read. The Tories were loaned £2.5m between April and June this year, the Lib Dems £782,780. But it was the Labour Party's figures that were of real interest. They were given £3.4m in donations, but did not take out any more loans. Why? Because they are in debt to the tune......

David Cameron's quest to become carbon neutral got a helpful push yesterday when plans to build solar panels and a roof turbine on the Tory leader's house received the go-ahead from Tory-run Kensington and Chelsea Council. They approved the installation of a turbine on the condition that it is of "limited size and grey in colour". Wind turbines can save you approximately a third off your electricity bill but with a price tag of......

The two brothers shot during the Forest Gate raid have given a press conference. Meanwhile Tony Blair has given his backing to Ian Blair. Expect Ian to go within the week. David Cameron wants an X-Factor style system to choose the next London mayor. It's believed Ken will sing I will Survive. A male nurse from the Royal London has won his sex discriminiation case. London still has no idea where to put its......

Venezuelan president Hugo Chávez made quite a splash in London over the weekend: Around a thousand people packed into Camden Town Hall to witness a mixture of a Latin American populist rally, an evangelical meeting and a football match... And yesterday in the People's Republic of Camden the villains remained very much President George W Bush, his acolyte Tony Blair, big business and the forces of reaction. Ken was in his element playing host......

With the polls opening at 7am tomorrow (they are open til 10pm, so there is no excuse not to vote!), Londonist provides you with the third entry for our local elections competition. This time courtesy of Hans Sloane: The Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea With Sloane Square, Harrods and a palace or two within its boundaries, it's no surprise that Kensington and Chelsea is dominated by Tory councillors - 42 out of 54......

Research by motor insurer, MORE TH>N, reveals Conservative leader David Cameron’s call to reduce traffic in the school run would save lives and that many motorists would switch to hybrid cars given the right incentives. Keith Maxwell, motor insurance manager for insurer MORE TH>N comments: “From our own research we know that British motorists are already considering changing their driving habits. Registrations of hybrid vehicles increased by three-quarters from 2004 to 20052, demonstrating a......

Hewitt Heckled Over Health Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt was heckled today at Workers' Union Unison's Health Conference. Hewitt revealed at the conference that reforms were needed to save the NHS, including more job cuts, and a reduction in the number of hospital beds. Hewitt repeated the claim she made over the weekend that the NHS has had its "best yeard to date". As a result of this claim, the NHS staff booed and heckled......

Prescott Gets Punchy Oh yes, Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott today brutally attacked Tory leader David Cameron - but, unusually for the big fella, with words! Two Jags had quite a bout with Tory deputy leader William Hagueat Prime Minister's Questions a couple of weeks ago, and left Hague looking like Harry Enfield's Tory Boy. Prezza is still in fine form, as he attacked Cmaeron today, calling him "all talk and no action." He......

Conservative Spring Forum Kicks Off To Manchester, where the Tory party's "spring forum" (apparently, it's NOT a spring conference!) got underway today, and questions are afoot as to whether Cameron is all mouth and no trousers. Party Chairman Francis Maude caused controversy by saying that the Tories "might not win the next election". Something which is being reflected in the polls at the moment, with Labour regaining its lead over Cameron's Conservatives. It seems......

UKIP Demands Apology Over "Closet Racist" Remarks The UK Independence Party have demanded an apology from Tory leader David Cameron over remarks he made on London radio station LBC. Mr. Cameron denounced UKIP as "fruitcakes, loonies and closet racists, mostly" as he took part in a phone-in show on the station. The comments are further evidence of Cameron's propsed shift of his party from being a right-wing party to being a more centrist party,......

Blair's Authority In Question After last night's education vote, in which Tony Blair had to rely on Conservative support to pass the Bill (even after Education Secretary Ruth Kelly [pictured] made concessions to try and win over the Labour rebels), the PM's authority is in question. 52 Labour backbenchers rebelled and voted against the Bill, and 25 more MPs abstained, and with the Bill passing by 458 to 115, the support of David Cameron's......

Blair Faces Education Vote The Government face the controversial vote on education today, with many Labour rebels standing firm. The Government plans to give schools more freedom over admissions and budgets. The Tories, as David Cameron was crowing about at PMQs today, support the Bill, whilst many Labour backbenchers don't, and it would be a huge blow to Blair's authority if the Bill is passed due to Tory support. It only needs 35 of......

Met chief Sir Ian Blair secretly recorded a confidential conversation with Attorney General Peter Goldsmith during the investigation into the shooting of Jean Charles de Menezes. Ironically the call was about the admissibility of telephone wire tap evidence in court. Met officers have contacted lawyers acting for the Jean Charles de Menezes' family to ask for permission to examine DNA samples taken after his death in connection with a rape case. Thames Water is......