The conservative candidate for the position of Mayor of London, Shaun Bailey, is being criticised for his comments that those given a universal basic income (UBI) would spend the money on “lots of drugs”.

Speaking to the economy committee at the London Assembly, Mr Bailey explained that his experience as a youth worker had shown him that “some people would absolutely fly if you gave them a lump sum every week”.

Director of the Centre for Welfare Reform, Simon Duffy, has responded to Mr Bailey’s claims, calling them “shocking” and “unproven”.

Mr Bailey is running against the current Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, in the upcoming mayoral elections.

First LGBTQ+ retirement home to open in Vauxhall

A £5.7m loan from the Mayor of London has allowed housing group Tonic to open Britain’s first LGBTQ+ friendly retirement community.

This comes after a 2018 survey revealed many elderly people do not feel comfortable to reveal their sexuality when entering care homes.

As the UK faces an ageing population, it is increasingly important to ensure the elderly feel they have safe spaces in which they can live out their retirement.

Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London, has stated “I am proud to support Tonic in creating the UK’s first LGBTQ+ retirement community…older Londoners deserve to be able to enjoy their later years in comfort and security”.

The retirement community is set to open in the summer at Bankhouse, Vauxhall.

Food charity inundated with donations of venison

A recent cull of the deer population in England has allowed Robinson Wild Foods to donate up to 1,000kg of venison meat to food charities, including London’s Felix Project.

The Felix Project helps reduce food waste by taking surplus goods from the food industry and redistributing it to struggling communities across London.

The closure of restaurants due to current lockdown restrictions has meant the demand for venison has decreased, but culls are still necessary to control the deer population and protect other wildlife.

The Felix Project are currently expanding their operations .

The group says they’ve never seen such a high demand for food in London, adding that “Covid-19 has hit the poorest the hardest.”

BAFTA’s rising star’s from London

Kingsley Ben-Adir from Gospel Oak, London has been added to BAFTA’s “Rising Star” shortlist.

Ben-Adir started his career in the theatres of London and he has since found success playing Malcolm X in Regina King’s, “One Night in Miami”.

Other Londoners on the shortlist include Bukky Bakray, Sope Dirisu and Conrad Khan.

The winner is voted for by the public and will be announced at the awards on April 11th.