By John Kaponi

How low can we stoop in this once "great city"?  Every road it seems today is covered with useless CCTV and surveillance technology, but crime is still on the increase and Londoners have never felt as scared of their lives as they have now.

We have a police force that is totally incompetent, over manned in office positions and under manned on the streets, where we need the police most.  The Met is still despite so many incidents unable to command the confidence of the people of London.  This is either because of poor leadership or the continuation of a misguided strategy.

The media, in London which is overrun by the same middle aged, white, out of touch irrelevant old dinosaurs who believe that a story on a reality television star is more important than for example uncovering the reality behind the street "gangs" in London, the people behind the gangs, the reason for the gangs being in existence.

This same media which does not want to investigate the truth behind the tacit racism that prohibits individuals from ethnic minorities becoming MP's.  How many MP's in London are from an ethnic background?  Out of 74 London MP's only 4 are from an ethnic background.  Disgraceful when you consider at least 50% per cent of London is inhabited by the "ethnic minorities".

The most annoying element here is the apathy that destroys London.  At the next elections in the capital, the European Parliamentary elections in June I guarantee you will see turnouts of about 30% per cent in certain areas.  

Local decisions are made in local authorities where the local population despite being consulted by the local authority is so disinterested that we are seeing our local communities change for the worse.

This is not the city I have learnt to love.   London needs to wake up and take more interest in its local politics and media and start making real changes.  In only two years we are hosting the Olympics, the ODA and LOCOG and the other groups involved in organizing the games need to involve the whole city to help heal the wounds of the past in London, and help keep London a world class capital city.

photo credit: London Daily News