Evening Standard Comment: Jamal Edwards was London at its best — we will miss him dearly

Jamal Edwards was London at its best. Born in Luton before moving to Acton, Edwards cannot be adequately described in just a few words.

He was an entrepreneur but also a visionary. A DJ and champion of charitable causes. It is perhaps too much to imbue one person with the values of a city, but Edwards came as close as any possibly could.

He has left us far too soon. There was so much more for this remarkable young man to achieve and so many more lives to inspire. He leaves a legacy we can all only hope to match. And we will miss him dearly.

On a day of good Covid news, there is however the seemingly ever-present spectre of the cost of living. And there was another blow today as the Evening Standard reveals that council tax bills are set to rise by more than £70 in half of London boroughs.

The majority intend to raise their share of bills by the maximum 2.99 per cent allowed by central government. This is on top of the 8.8 per cent increase in the Mayor’s share.

We feel Londoners’ pain. As a result of soaring energy costs, higher taxes and food prices, living standards are suffering. There are also fears that tenants, if their rent is inclusive of bills, will miss out on the council tax rebate due in April if their landlord chooses not to pass it on.

While wages are rising, it is for many below the rate of inflation, which represents a real-terms pay cut. It would be an intolerable irony if, as soon as the economy fully reopens, millions of Londoners are forced to cut back to try to cover the basic costs of living.