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AMMERSMITH BRIDGE has been closed to all traffic for the past nine months. The fine Victorian structure in west London is cracking and could collapse at any moment; the borough that owns the bridge cannot afford to fix it. In a rational world, the government would shell out for repairs, says Tony Travers of the London School of Economics. But Hammersmith Bridge happens to connect one wealthy part of London with another part, and the government is loth to be seen spending money for their benefit.
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From a great height, London has fallen hard in the past year. Covid-19 hit the capital first, killing people before doctors understood the disease. Commuters and tourists have vanished, hobbling the city’s large service economy no British region has suffered a sharper rise in unemployment. Yet the capital’s biggest problem is political. The government of London has badly fallen out with the national government. That
Scotland at a crossroads: Super Thursday vote could spark another independence showdown with the EU theglobeandmail.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from theglobeandmail.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
U.K. Vote Is Likely to Back Boris Johnson, and Scottish Separatists
The prime minister’s Conservative Party stands to gain at the polls on Thursday, despite ethical accusations against him. But growth in support for the Scottish National Party could create turmoil.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson campaigning on Monday in the English port city of Hartlepool, a Labour Party bastion.Credit.Pool photo by Lindsey Parnaby
Published May 5, 2021Updated May 10, 2021
LONDON For an ordinary politician, heading into midterm elections on an unsavory plume of scandal over cellphone contacts with billionaires and a suspiciously funded apartment makeover might seem like the recipe for a thumping. But Prime Minister Boris Johnson of Britain is not an ordinary politician.