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Oi Sadiq: has London got better or worse in the last decade

Oi Sadiq! Has it been a good or bad decade for London?

London Mayor Sadiq Khan takes a look back with Time Out's James Manning

James Manning
Written by James Manning
Content Director, EMEA
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This year, we’ve been giving some of our favourite Londoners the chance to put one big question to the Mayor. Now it’s our turn: Time Out’s James Manning wants to know whether Sadiq Khan feels that the last ten years have been kind to our city.

James ‘Oi, Sadiq! Like you, I’m a proud, born-and-bred Londoner – but I don’t feel it’s necessarily been the greatest of decades for the capital. What about you? Do you think our city has got better or worse since 2010?’

Sadiq ‘Well, we’ve had a decade of austerity. Since 2010 we’ve had record cuts in policing, schools and the NHS, and we’ve seen the consequences. But notwithstanding that, look at the great things which have happened in the last ten years. We had a great Olympics, becoming the sporting capital of the world. We’re also the cultural capital of the world: from major films made in our city to Stormzy to Adele in music to fashion and culture. We should be really proud of punching well above our weight.’

James ‘But it does sometimes feel a bit hopeless being a Londoner when we’re surrounded by so much bad news for the city.’

Sadiq ‘Look at the history of our city. In the face of adversity, we stand up – we don’t cower or become intimidated. One of our strengths is our diversity. Over the last ten years, we have become more diverse. I genuinely think if you’d asked people in 2010, “Is London a great city?”, they might not have said yes. Ask them in 2020 and they’ll say it’s the greatest city in the world.’

Know an amazing Londoner who deserves a chat with the Mayor? Let us know!

Learn more about London's past

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The history of London, from prehistoric times to the present is told in the Museum of London through reconstructed interiors and street scenes, alongside displays of original artefacts found during the museum's archaeological digs. Check the website before your visit as a packed programme of temporary exhibitions, talks, walks and children's events is central to the life of the Museum of London.
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London Transport Museum

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Among the vehicles on display at the London Transport Museum is the first underground electric train, which had no windows because there was nothing to see underground. The trouble was that no one could tell which stop they were at, a glitch resolved by employing an athletic announcer who ran to each carriage at every station, shouting out the stops. Dating from 1890, this is one of several museum exhibits you can board. The design gallery is a tribute to Frank Pick, the man responsible for rolling out the London Underground brand and giving each line its own character. For children, the London Transport Museum has an under-fives play area decorated with Steven Appleby illustrations and the chance to sit in the driver's cab of a red bus and guide a Northern Line simulator through tunnels and up to platforms – (truth be told, it's fun for adults, too).
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Tower of London

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  • Historic buildings and sites
  • Tower Hill
Tower of London
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Despite the exhausting crowds and long climbs up stairways, this is one of Britain's finest historical attractions. Who would not be fascinated by a close-up look at the crown of Queen Victoria or the armour (and prodigious codpiece) of King Henry VIII? The buildings of the Tower span 900 years of history and the bastions and battlements house a series of interactive displays on the lives of British monarchs, and the often excruciatingly painful deaths of traitors. There's easily enough to do here to fill a whole day, and it's worth joining one of the highly recommended and entertaining free tours led by the Yeoman Warders (or Beefeaters). Make the Crown Jewels your first stop, and as early in the day as you possibly can: if you wait until you've pottered around a few other things and generally got your bearings, the queues are usually immense. The other big draw to the tower is the Royal Armoury in the White Tower, with its swords, armour, poleaxes, halberds, morning stars (spiky maces) and other gruesome tools for separating human beings from their body parts. Kids are entertained by swordsmanship games, coin-minting activities and even a child-sized long bow. The garderobes (medieval toilets) also seem to appeal. 'Fit for a King' is a showcase for royal arms and armour, including armour created for King Henry VIII on his marriage to Katherine of Aragon. 'Royal Beasts' explores the history of the Tower of London's Royal Menagerie, which was founded during the reign of King
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Sir John Soane's Museum

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Sir John Soane's Museum
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19 Princelet Street

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Geffrye Museum

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Charles Dickens Museum

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Royal Museums Greenwich (including National Maritime Museum)

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  • Science and technology
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Royal Museums Greenwich (including National Maritime Museum)
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