With the average house price in London over £530,000, the problem of buying is beyond giving up avocado toast or the Netflix subscription.
The Conservatives gained seven seats there – Labour are down one, the Lib Dems down three and the independents down three.
There is still a good reason to do so – the same one that drove those plucky and fabulous 181 dutiful democrats to turn out for me last year.
Doorstep responses might start with national headlines. But it is when you raise local issues that residents pause and think.
We should get a sense of what voters in key electoral battlegrounds are feeling about the main parties. There are some key tests for Labour.
We will also adopt a brownfield first building policy – and stop Labour’s plans for destroying the city’s valuable park land.
The Conservative Party Chairman adds that “frustrations” over parties “need to be balanced out with what has been achieved.”
Across the country, our local authorities deliver better outcomes without the inflated tax rates imposed by Labour, the Lib Dems, and the SNP.
Conservative leadership has meant transport spending in the West Midlands has already increased seven-fold. But there is still more to do.
Council leaders can pass the buck and play political blame games when they should be taking action. We need proper accountability.
The main threat may not be from Labour or the Lib Dems – but an uprising of plucky residents’ groups opposing ugly development.
Winning in Birmingham and Bury is not enough. Bolton, Peterborough, and Derby are the challenges Labour needs to overcome.
A shift towards four-party politics in England is likely to continue. But in an incremental rather than dramatic manner.
Local communities have been held back by Labour’s high council tax rates and poor funding. The current settlement is not fit for purpose.