City Matters 059

CITY MATTERS
restaurant
8 Crane Court, London, EC4A 2EJ
0207 3532898, 0207 5832814
info@indiaindia.london
OPENING TIMES:
Monday to Friday: 11:30am–3pm
5.30pm –11pm
Saturday: 5.30pm – 11pm
India India Restaurant is committed to
provide the best in traditional recipes
in a modern style palatable to
Londoners that is close to Fleet street
and Fetter Lane.
We are launching our Christmas menu:
£25 for 3-courses
£29 for 4 courses with
Complimentary Glass of Prosecco
Valid 1st – 31st December 2017

CITYMATTERS.LONDON 29 November - 05 December 2017 | Page 5
Election Matters
WILL THIRD TIME BE THE CHARM FOR DETERMINED DAVID?
I’ll be the people’s champion
DAVID BARKER may have come up
short in the race to become a Portsoken
Common Councillor in March, but that
hasn’t stopped him getting back in the
saddle ahead of the ward’s Aldermanic
election next month.
Mr Barker, who last week declared
his candidacy in what is shaping up to
be a hotly-contested vote, is pulling no
punches on his campaign trail either,
stating that he wants to reconnect the
authority with “forgotten” residents.
“Constituents feel left behind and
forgotten as the City has progressed and
got richer,” he told City Matters.
Learning
“They are tired of nothing changing or
everything taking too long – for example
one resident in her 80s has waited a year
to get broken lighting fixed and she has to
walk to her flat scared in darkness.
“This is simply not good enough and
is so easily fixed. What maybe are seen
as small things by the City are big things
when it affects you as a resident and I will
ensure these are put right.”
The Internet entrepreneur cites the
juxtaposition of Portsoken against the
City’s wealthy backdrop as a driving force
behind his move into politics.
At 53%, Portsoken has the highest rate
of child poverty in the UK, and despite
losing out in March’s vote, Mr Barker
believes it was a necessary learning curve
to introduce himself to the electorate. “I
community focus: David Barker says
he wants to put residents first
knew my chances of election were low,
but it helped me to better understand
the community and show everyone who I
was and my commitment to stand up for
people our broken system and politicians
have left behind.
“Following this, when Theresa May
called a general election, this gave me
a chance to stand again, this time as an
Independent MP in Poplar & Limehouse,
Tower Hamlets, where the child poverty
rate is the third highest in the UK despite
being home to Canary Wharf.
“Again, whilst I was realistic that it
was unlikely I would be elected, it gave
me a chance to highlight this social
injustice and the need for government and
politicians to do more.”
Rather than stew over his defeats, Mr
Barker moved to ingratiate himself into
the Portsoken community, a decision
he says is not typically in keeping with
candidates who fail to garner enough
support to take office.
“I feel I have earned the respect of
Portsoken residents since March by not
disappearing after I didn’t get elected –
which is what normally happens,” he said.
“I actually stayed involved in the
community, helping to co-create the
Portsoken Chess Club with local residents,
while my wife Sofia is teaching at the new
Spanish language classes. We have also
moved to Strype Street, just off Middlesex
Street, to really be part of the community
of Portsoken and Aldgate.”
Hailing from a poor community in
Manchester, Mr Barker has witnessed first
hand the harsh line between the haves
and have-nots. It is why social mobility
will top his agenda should he take the
Aldermanic hotseat.
“I managed to break free from
unemployment into a career – but many
of my friends were left behind by the
broken system that left them in long-term
unemployment and poverty.
“It doesn’t have to be this way and yet
we continue to elect the wrong kind of
politicians who say the right things but
have very little influence or just want the
power and position. This focus on social
mobility is a thread which runs through
all aspects of my life, including the
projects I work on.”
Specifically, Mr Barker is a project
director for a social enterprise called
Placer, a firm with a mission to widen
access to work experience opportunities
for all young people, both in Portsoken
and nationally.
“Although work experience is at the
heart of what we offer, the project is bigger
than that. It’s about how we can improve
social mobility across the country.
“Portsoken suffers serious injustices in
the richest Square Mile in the world. This
has to change and I feel my background
and experience can influence change.
“In fact I exited my internet business in
2004 to focus on this issue and have spent
the last 13 years dedicated to the cause.”
Having taken part in two elections
already this year, many would have
forgiven Mr Barker if he decided to take a
breather and let the other candidates duke
it out. But he says an external force had a
major influence on his decision to join a
third race inside 10 months.
“I hadn’t planned to stand this year
for the Aldermanic election as I thought
Henry Jones, who has been a dedicated
councillor for many years, would.
“When I found out Henry wasn’t, and
I heard who the likely candidates were, I
had to act – none of the candidates, I felt,
were right for what’s needed.”
‘Don’t be fooled
by cheap tricks’
IN the digital age there
is no reason to leave any
stone unturned.
That is the message
from David Barker to the
electorate as candidates
pursue votes in the
build-up to 14 December.
“Standing for three
elections this year I
have seen many things
I don’t agree with in
the political system –
including the behaviour
of candidates standing
for election,” he said.
Tactic
“For example, I’ve seen
candidates targeting
communities just before
the election period
begins, ‘innocently’
sponsoring as many
community activities as
they can to look like the
best candidate.
“For me, if they
have never sponsored
activities like this in
an area before, then
it is just an obvious
tactic to win support
and votes.
“My only ask is
that all voters in all
elections look beyond
these types of activities
and do their research on
the candidates – this will
really help decide who to
vote for in the Portsoken
election.”

CHRISTMAS
& NEW YEAR PARTY
BOOKINGS NOW TAKEN
www.thecoriander.com
Gourmet Sunday Lunch / Dinner
3 course meal
Lunch
Adult £13.95
Child £8.95
Dinner
Adult £16.95
Child £ 9.95
We open 7 days a week
1 min from Barbican, 3 mins from St Pauls,
5 mins from Moorgate
55 Aldersgate Street, Barbican, EC1A 4LA
T: 02076 004 747 E: coriander.barbican@gmail.com

For more information on these events
and a whole lot more:
The City Information Centre,
St Paul’s Churchyard EC4M 8BX
www.visitthecity.co.uk
@visitthecity | @visitthecity | visitthecity

Page 10 | 29 November - 05 December 2017
CITYMATTERS.LONDON

Artizan Street Library
1 Artizan St, E1 7AF
Barbican Library
Level 2, Barbican Centre, Silk Street, EC2Y 8DS
Bishopsgate Institute Library
230 Bishopsgate, EC2M 4QH
City of London Information Centre
St. Paul’s Churchyard, EC4M 8BX
Coffee Stall
In front of St Mary Abchurch,
Abchurch Lane, EC4N 7BA
Coppa Club
4 St. Paul’s Churchyard, EC4M 8AY
El Vino Wine Merchant
6 Martin Lane, Cannon St, EC4R 0DP
Fuller’s - The Counting House
50 Cornhill, EC3V 3PD
Fuller’s - The Old Bank of England
194 Fleet St, EC4A 2LT
Giddy Up Coffee
Fortune Street Park, EC1Y 0SB
Jeeves Dry Cleaners
131 Fleet St, EC4A 2BH
J Rogers & Sons - Shoe Repair
28 Liverpool St, EC2M 7PD
Guildhall Library
Aldermanbury, EC2V 7HH
Merchant House
13 Well Court, EC4M 9DN
8 Bride Court, EC4Y 8DU
You’ll be able to pick up your
copy every Thursday from one
of the above collection points.
www.citymatters.london
Nincom Soup
Old Street Station, EC1Y 1BE
Oh’Lola
58 Hatton Garden, EC1N 8LS
Pod Good Food
75 King William Street, EC4N 7BE
Protestant Truth Society Inc - Book Shop
184 Fleet St, EC4A 2HJ
Rome Coffee Cart
3 Fleet Place, EC4M 7RD
Scott’s Shoe Repair & Dry Cleaners
City Thameslink Holborn Concourse, EC4M 7RA
65 Ludgate Hill, EC4M 7JH
Old Street Station, EC1Y 1BE
Shoe Lane Library
Little Hill House, Little New Street, EC4A 3JR
Spitalfields Market E1
Brushfield Street, Spitalfields, E1 6AA
Sweetings Restaurant
39 Queen Victoria St, EC4N 4SF
Temple Brew House
46 Essex St, WC2R 3JF
The Franklin Building
124 Goswell Road, EC1V 7DP
The M Bar
48-51 Leadenhall Market, EC3V 1LT
The Natural Kitchen
15-17 New St Square, Fetter Lane, EC4A 3AP
176 Aldersgate St, EC1A 4HR
Waterstones
Leadenhall Market,
1-3 Whittington Ave, EC3V 1PJ
Ye Old Cheshire Cheese
145 Fleet Street, EC4A 2BU

Page 12 | 29 November - 05 December 2017
CITYMATTERS.LONDON

Notice is hereby given that Walbrook Square Ltd
has applied in respect of Bloomberg Place, 3 Queen
Victoria Street, London EC2R for the grant of a
new premises licence under the Licensing Act 2003
to permit the following: This is an application to
licence Bloomberg's London Headquarters for:
Regulated entertainment (films – indoors only)
from 00:00 to 00:00 Monday to Sunday (24/7);
Regulated entertainment (plays; live music;
recorded music; performances of dance and
anything similar to live music, recorded music and
performances of dance – indoors only) from 11:00
to 00:00 Monday to Sunday; and Late night
refreshment (indoors only) from 23:00 to 05:00 the
day following Monday to Sunday; Supply of alcohol
(on and off-sales) from 11:00 to 00:00 Monday to
Sunday; and on such conditions and non-standard
timings as set out in the application form.
Representations to this application must be made in
writing, by the end of 19 December 2017, to the
City of London Corporation Licensing Authority
at PO Box 270, Guildhall, London, EC2P 2EJ
where the register of licensing applications can
be inspected during office hours and/or at
http://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk.
It is an offence to knowingly or recklessly make a
false statement in connection with this application.
Persons will be liable on summary conviction to an
unlimited fine.
TLT Solicitors

As one of London Smithfield Market’s longest established names,
JF Edwards (Smithfield) is recognised for the wide range of products
they supply, namely beef, lamb, veal, mutton, rabbit, poultry, game
and exotic meats, including wagyu beef, as well as procurements.
We pride ourselves on providing our customers, who are
themselves suppliers to discerning customers, with excellent
service and quality.
Simply, said, we care passionately about what we do. We will
be the best at what we do — selling the best meat to the best
customers at the best prices.
We look forward to welcoming you to
Smithfield Market in the coming weeks and
supplying you with quality meats for your
Christmas festivities.
J F EDWARDS (Smithfield) Ltd
42 Central Markets, West Market Building, London EC1A 9PS
0207 236 9721 | sales@jfedwards.uk.com

Page 16 | 29 November - 05 December 2017
CITYMATTERS.LONDON
Established 1953
• Sales
• Lettings
• Valuations
BOW DOCKLANDS BETHNAL GREEN WHITECHAPEL
Bow Road E3 — £1,325,000 Freehold
A four storey Grade II Georgian listed terraced house with many
original features. Arranged over 1939sq ft and set within the
Tredegar Square Conservation Area, close to Mile End underground
and DLR stations. Ideal for purchasers working in the West End, the
City and Canary Wharf.
Palmers Road E2 — £699,995 Leasehold
A 920sq ft three bedroom brand new apartment directly
overlooking the Regents canal. Arranged with a stylish open plan
kitchen/reception enjoying 9ft high ceilings and two designer
bathrooms. Finished to a high quality specification and situated in
an ideal setting close to Victoria Park and Mile End underground.
Vallance Road E2 — £899,000 Leasehold
An impressive three bedroom split level apartment arranged over
1231sq ft within a newly converted end of terrace Victorian house.
Finished to a beautiful standard, encompassing a blend of period
features with high end modern eco-friendly technology.
Hanover Place E3- £550,000 Leasehold
A third floor, two double bedroom purpose built apartment, set
behind electronic security gates. This apartment comprises of a
spacious south facing living room with a balcony, two shower
rooms, fitted kitchen, allocated off street parking space and only
0.1 mile to Mile End Tube Station.
0208 981 3331
www.wjmeade.co.uk
bow@wjmeade.net