18/04/2017 London News

So today a surprise announcement, tomorrow a vote in the Commons

Almost two years ago, at the last general election,

London voted largely for Labour with traditional support

for the Conservatives in the outer boroughs.

Crucially, the UK voted to leave the EU while London

Our political editor, Tim Donovan reports,

on how the capital's reaction to what's being called,

Across London - north, south, east and west -

surprise proved the order of the day.

I think she needs to get her own mandate from the electorate because,

at the moment, she's got a very slim majority.

Whilst it's going to be a lot about Brexit, but she's still got

domestic issues that she needs to sort out as well.

So, it's going to be an interesting few weeks.

We haven't even been able to know which direction

I mean, there are still talks going on and I just feel

that we should focus on that before we think about elections

Croydon Central was the closest contest last time.

The winner here, by just 165 votes, is now the Tory

If you're honest, with a 165 majority, of two years ago,

now we've had Brexit and so on, just the uncertainty,

does that make it much more difficult for you now?

a lot of people didn't trust that we were actually

going to implement the decision that people took on the 23rd June.

So we've invoked Article 50, the Prime Minister's done exactly

People can see the plan that we have for Britain.

So I think this is the right moment to get a clear mandate that takes us

in those negotiations and allows us to get the best possible

If Labour fancy his seat, they'll also be targeting places

like Harrow East and Hendon, where the Tory lead

is in the low thousands, but what about the Tories smelling

We'll they'll be hopeful that places like Ealing Central, Acton,

Brentford and Isleworth and Ilford North.

Hammersmith is currently held by Labour's spokesman for London

Talking to people in this kebab shop, that seems safe,

despite how the polls are looking nationally.

The Labour is more look after the people.

I think the majority of the people than other parties.

I always went for the Labour Party, to be honest.

So there's no point to change the one at Hammersmith.

I'm just hoping that Labour are going to take over.

Theresa May does not represent the values

She's a divisive politician, she's a backward looking politician

and particularly over Brexit and the way she's handling Brexit,

it means economic and social gloom and doom for this country.

But she's prepared to risk it because she's taken a look

at your leader and she's, presumably, thinking seats

like yours - do you know what, we might just win those.

I think that she's been very badly advised.

I'm pleased that she's been badly advised.

I think that they have become overconfident and they are not

going to get a warm welcome on the doorstep.

This is where we've had one electoral verdict on Brexit already,

Richmond Park, where last December the Lib Dems swept

the Tory, Zac Goldsmith's, 23,000 majority away.

I'd be amazed if she's not worried that the consequences of a hard

Brexit policy are going to become increasingly obvious

to an electorate who are going to think -

hey, we were duped here, and that's going to spell trouble.

So do the Liberal Democrats see a route back via Twickenham,

The Prime Minister has chosen to make the hard Brexit

that she is pursuing the key feature of this general election campaign,

so we will be talking about issues like how important it is for the UK

to stay in the single market and the customs union

because so many millions of jobs depend on them, but we'll also

want to make the NHS a key feature of this campaign.

A media encampment once again in Westminster and six weeks

of combat to come in the capital's 73 constituencies asked to vote

once more, much sooner than they'd expected.

So how does the political map across the capital look

and will Brexit make a difference to where Londoners cast their vote?

Could it influence Londoners as they go to the polls again?

Well, that's the question all the parliamentary candidates

will be trying to answer if a general election does go

Let's take a look at the way things lie at the moment.

Out of London's 73 seats, 45 are Labour, 26 are Conservative

and two are held by the Liberal Democrats.

Obviously, a lot has happened since the last general election,

a little under two years ago, but the biggest political event has

Overall, London voted to remain by just shy of 60%,

which makes the capital at odds with the country as a whole.

The boroughs in yellow voted to stay in the EU,

There's been time for the decision to sink in, so will Brexit

I was a remain campaigner and I'll be looking to support

the Liberal Democrats, I think, for that.

I know that, obviously, there is a lot of debate about it.

I don't really agree with anything the Tories really done lately.

I suppose it's going to make a difference in the way you vote?

I think to have a change of government now would

It does matter, but I don't think you can affect it

So is this the issue that will sway London?

Guess it's hard to see how this can be about anything other than Brexit?

Yes. And much will hinge on the correlation touched on there. What

happens to those Tory MPs. Some on pretty small ha yorts on areas that

subsequently have shown that they backed remain, wanted to stay in the

EU. The Liberal Democrats like Vince Cable licking their lips trying to

come back, eyeing his old seat at Twickenham. Another coalition

member, Ed Davities looking at Kingston. They could be interesting

contests. Funding, NHS, over schools, education over policing are

going to come to the foreat some stage and Labour will want to make

sure that they do. Then there will be this question of Labour and

Labour's leadership. Jeremy Corbyn obviously a London MP and yet, some

recent polling showed his personal approval rating was lower than the

other party leaders. Yet this is where he has lots of members. This

is where he has been able to swell his activist base. You can guarantee

they will run a good campaign if recent history is to go by. Labour

have a good record of holding campaigns not just in general

election but in local Mayoral elections. We will leave it there.

Thank you, Tim Donovan. The new Metropolitan Police

Commissioner has been speaking candidly to BBC London

about the challenges facing Scotland Yard,

including fewer officers policing Cressida Dick also stressed the need

to urgently tackle knife and gun Here's our political

correspondent, Karl Mercer. Congratulations on being the first

female Commissioner. She was here to outline her

priorities in London's They might just have

a few pointers for her. Yeah, don't stand on

the outside looking in. Get involved with the community,

meet some of the locals, talk to some of them,

see what they're into. If the police officers interact more

with the younger generation, then they could prevent more

stabbings and knife Thoughts for Cressida Dick -

or Cress as she likes The Met's Commissioner was out

and about for the cameras today and knows she's taking over a force

where gun and knife crime They are, she says,

at the top of her agenda. We need to educate our young people,

we need to support them, we need to protect them and we need

to make them realise that actually carrying a knife is the worst

and last thing you should be doing and could be the last

thing you do do. The new Commissioner talked today

about building better relations with some communities in London

and back at the gym, A lot of young people

feel like are the police are out to get them,

basically, and they've got a pretty mixed up view

on what the police are there for. They feel that they're chased and,

you know, basically, picked on by this other gang

of people in a uniform. Cressida Dick knows though

she'll have to tackle the problems with less money,

the Met is facing I think we need to become

even more efficient. We need to become

even more productive. I think some of the things we're

doing with technology will allow that, but I think it's possible

that we will have to reduce But I think we could be a smaller

Met just as effective, if not more effective,

in the future. Do you have an idea of the sort

of numbers you're talking about? I know people have talked

about going down to 30,000? I don't have a specific

number in my head. She's honest about the challenges

ahead, now she just I'll say goodnight now

and leave you with Wendy Across London and the Home Counties

the blue bells are out. If you are trying to grow anything else at this

time of year you need warmth and you need a bit of water. Well, places

like this in Coulsdon will be one of the coldest spots tonight. There

won't be much warmth there will be a frost in places. The temperatures

really plummeting out there. Four degrees at Luton already. The wind

are falling lighter coming in from the north-east and clear skies, too.

Some places will be below freezing. It will take a prone spot. It will

be a little bit of a frosty start to the day tomorrow. Gardeners beware.

Chilly on the way to work. There is plenty of sunshine to enjoy. Through

the afternoon it will stay with us with lighter wind and that than

today. Temperatures up to 14 degrees. Thursday though, little

less blue sky. There will be more cloud around, another dry day

though. Temperatures up to 14 degrees once again. The winds

switching round to a more west or south-westerly direction. Friday, I

think we will have sunshine and temperatures up to 17 degrees

looking at the outlook but that means it will then turn colder into

the weekend. A cold front comes through. Fairly cloudy as well.

The weather hasn't been too dramatic of late. That is not say it's not

without problems. One of those could occur as early as tonight. There

could be a sharp rural frost around especially so in the southern half

of the British isles. I make the distinction between south and north,

further north we have a weather front, a weak affair from the

Atlantic. It has enough breeze and cloud to help to keep the

temperatures up relative to the south. Now there is just the chance

of the odd pocket of frost further north, but my real concerns are away

from the major towns and cities across the greater part of England

and Wales, away from the coast. Minus three or four is possible.

That does convert