While Pope Francis’ theology shares many aspects with liberation theology, particularly his focus on the poor and marginalised, he has never explicitly identified as a liberation theologian. He has been praised by liberation theologians for embodying the movement’s spirit through his actions and advocacy for the poor, but he has also been seen as taking a more nuanced approach, drawing on various theological perspectives while remaining distinct from the specific framework of liberation theology.

Pope Francis has consistently emphasised the church’s role in supporting the poor and marginalised, criticising capitalism, and advocating for social justice, all themes central to liberation theology. However, Pope Francis’ theology differs from traditional liberation theology in some key ways. He has not adopted the Marxist analysis of class struggle that characterised some earlier liberation theology, and he has a more nuanced approach to social science and political action, according to an article by Dissent Magazine. Pope Francis’ theology is seen as drawing on a wider range of theological perspectives, including those of the Second Vatican Council and those that emphasise a relational understanding of God and creation.

While he may not formally identify as a liberation theologian, his actions and statements, particularly his emphasis on the church’s role as “a church for the poor” and his selection of Francis de Assisi as his pontifical name, resonate with the core tenets of liberation theology. Additionally, Francis has said that “realities are more important than ideas”.

Whilst all is said and done, let us not forget his show of humanity with his support for the Palestinian Christians in Gaza whom he rang very night during the War in Gaza. And his love of football and support for his local boyhood team, San Lorenzo. Further evidence of his populist instincts. May he Rest in Peace. 

Since last December l have e-mailing the council for an update on the Lisson Green Estate Heat Network, just before the Autumn, thinking its one of the things the council can be doing to keep peoples energy bills down. I only got a response from the Winter but none the less its here now.

They said to me in an Whatapp response  “….we are currently tendering for a second stage feasibility study to build upon a concept study by BURO. They explored the option of creating a new large heat network in NW8 using local heat sources that include, the national grid station (along Lodge Rd, NW8), the local canal & TfL jubilee line. It determined that further detailed assessment should take place and that is what they are tendering for, It will initially cover Lisson Green Estate where we have 4 communal systems on the Estate and individually heated homes and Wharncliffe Gardens. ”  

So it’s clear to me this will not be operational for at least the winter of 2026, as we are still talking about feasibility studies and not even works on site. Whilst the brief has been extended to include Wharncliffee Gardens and also heat loss from the TfL Jubilee tracks going over the canal along Park Rd, NW8. 

So whilst it has been given prominence on the GLA database of energy proposals around London, its got a long way to go, as we are clearly more than a few years from it ever being operational and saving residents of the Lisson Green Estate. This while the priority is clearly in the South of the City with the updating urgently required of the 

With the success of Ramadan lights in the West End, along the Edgware Rd we see increasing flagship shops from the Middle East when setting up businesses in London. 

In recent time we have seen leading Egyptian and Turkish businesses establishing shops along the Edgware Rd like the Korhasy Egyptian eatery on the corner with Sussex Gardens and Mehmet Efendi, Turkish sweet shop on the corner Kendal Street. We also have the Myra Chocolate Coffee shop opening up at 508 Edgware Rd very soon, adding another Turkish sweet shop at the Maida Vale end of Edgware Rd. 

Long may this continue, as they provide critical investment along the Edgware Rd that no one else is doing. Indeed our local council, the City of Westminster should reinforce this clear trend led by Middle East businesses. Its quiet clear, that the Edgware Rd has status and kudos in the Middles East and as when their tourists come to London. Maybe even having Ramadan Lights down the Edgware Rd one day soon, during the month of fasting would help the local economy no end! If we have them along Coventry St in the heart of the West End, why not along the Edgware Rd as well. 

In the last few years, the Ramadan lights in the West End have drawn huge attention to London during the month of fasting and all credit should be given to the Aziz Foundation undertaking this for the past few years. It’s time now to build on it for the further success of the Edgware Rd, the Middle Eastern street of London. Here the City of Westminster council is well positioned to undertake this with business partners along the street and assisting their efforts of the economic regeneration of this famous street in the Middle East. 

I am an advocate for Land Valuation Taxation(LVT), arguing that such a tax is both economically efficient and morally just. As a result l align my ideas to those of Henry George.

Now Henry George was a nineteenth century Economist, who argued that land, being a natural resource, should be taxed to capture the unearned increment in its value. He argued that it avoids distorting economic incentives, as it targets the value of land itself, rather than the value of buildings and capital goods. And that it is morally justified, suggesting that the value of land is largely a result of societal contribution rathe than individual effort.

In cities, LVT can be a way to capture the “agglomeration value” of productive cities, which is more often captured by land owners rather that shared by the wider community. Agglomeration value being the benefits that firms and industries gain from clustering in specific locations, leading to increased productivity, lower costs, and innovation.

Whilst supporting LVT, l acknowledge that it is not a perfect solution and other reforms may also be necessary to address economic challenges. But we should not forget its success in East Asian cities like Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan etc. And we also have practical challenges of implementing LVT, such as valuing land accurately and over coming public resistance to property tac reforms.

Santander announced the closer of 95 branches in the UK last week, including its Edgware Rd branch on the 12th of August and many are wondering about its impact on Church St market. 

This will be critically the last bank branch in Church St ward in the City of the Westminster and critically the loss of 2 ATMs (Automated Teller Machine) for cash. It is something a declining street market like Church St relies on and raises questions about whether is it time to protect cash before it’s too late. We all know that cash is disappearing from the high streets, but do we really understand why? It is something the Treasury Select Committee is looking into and l am glad the Campaign for Cash is making representations for those who rely on cash, by telling us the human cost of cashlessness.  

It is also a critical site for the economic regeneration of the Edgware Rd and Church St market, and has been somewhat underdeveloped for sometime now which has received little attention up till now. Along with the shop fronts along this part of Edgware Rd between the Marylebone flyover and Maida Vale it could all do with a make over!  

A noticeable feature in the morning now along Bell St,NW1 and many of the streets off it, are the Airbnber stayers in the neighbourhood.  Many local residents are aware of it and its impact on the local rental market and has been illustrated by all the attention given to the issue in Central London, where we have the biggest concentration of the Airbnb flats. 

A new angle has been given to me by a local hotelier, who feels the Airbnb flats are taking business from him when they don’t pay any VAT, business rates or corporation tax as well.  Given we have over 200,000 of these flats identified in Central London alone, l hope Central government takes up this issue.  This said we do need the Register of Short Lets to be live nationally as soon as possible.

I am also glad to tell you also that as soon as l reported it to the Westminster City Council, they have immediately acted with by an investigation by their Short Term Letting specialist Team. So watch this space on how matters develop on this front. It’s clearly a priority issue for the council’s enforcement teams! 

During a cost of living crisis, we see that Thames Water has gone to court for loan of £3 billion when it already has £17 billion debt, and wants to hike 53 per cent increase on our water bills to fund their dividends to shareholders where a third of customer bill will cover interest payments alone.

Now the full privatisation of water supply & sanitation is an exception today, being limited to England, Chile and some cities in the United States. Furthermore, public ownership is popular with 82 per cent wanting publicly owned water more popular than that of our railways in the UK already undertaken by the Labour government on Rail Operating Companies (ROCs).

Thames Water PLC record in London is pretty awful with a unused desalination plant built after 2008; in particular in W9 where even after Flip kiosks were installed we had flash floods in 2021 and they are a major cause of road roads in Central London as they keep digging holes for themselves.

We really should not permit the socialising of their losses, for it all to be return to them to profit by again in the future. That is the customer is bailing out the privatised water industry for the work they failed to do with the money we gave them before in the first place!

I just wish our MPs, AMs & Labour Groups and Mayor of London to make the case for public ownership similar to mutualization of water facilities by local & regional government in Wales for London as the folding up of Thames Water occurs over the next few weeks, for the residents of all our households in the constituency and beyond.

Walking through Broadley St Gardens to get to Paddington Recreation Ground regularly, is an amusing contrast this winter.  Where you’ll find the grass and planting in very poor condition and also physical infrastructure like the water foundation in Broadley St Gardens and along the Green Spine. And then you go to Paddington Rec, the grounds and playing facilities are in immaculate conditions, so not surprising it has a Green Flag accreditation. 

It is almost as though after the regeneration efforts in Church St Ward with the Green Spine, they forgot about the maintenance and management of this new green infrastructure in the middle of the ward. This while the Council is helping St Johns Church, Kensal Green in their Greening programme of the lawn, hedging and trees at the church!

So I trust the Council can make amends straight away before the spring and summer, where the Broadley St Gardens is intensely used by residents, school children and the working population. It has clearly fallen between Regeneration and the staff that manage and maintenance the Green spaces of the City. 

Its an intensely used space and illustrates well why we need more green space in Church St Ward. Who knows one day with when its much better managed and maintained similar to Paddington Rec, it will be accredited with a Green Flag as well!