Maggie aka The Iron Lady, served as Prime Minister from 1979-1990. Photo: Wikimedia

Meryl Streep created a storm last week when a picture of her made up to look like Margaret Thatcher was released. The Oscar-winner is filming a biopic about Britain’s first and only female prime minister.

Maggie, as some endearingly refer to her, ploughed the furrows of Britain with her beliefs in low taxation and privatization. Along the way, she had a few altercations with British miners, but her time in government was eventually brought to an end by the poll tax riots of 1990.

After 11 years in power, what cultural legacy did the Iron Lady leave behind?

The political picture

Despite Thatcher being opposed to the BBC as an institution, it has made a nice line of political and historic films based around her and her government. Just last year, they broadcast Margaret, a film charting her fall from power. The year before that, there was a drama that focused on her earlier years, The Long Walk to Finchley.

And it’s not just the BBC. In fact, watch any film about Britain in the 80s and you will be hard pushed to find one where the influence of her government is not referred to somewhere. Many profited as she stuck staunchly to her free market policies, but unemployment also rose. There were also the seminal miners’ strikes of the mid-80s that lead to the closure of several mines and weakened trade unions for years afterwards.

Billy Elliot is set during the miners’ strikes and the storyline interweaves Billy’s struggle to become a dancer with his father’s struggles as a miner. The film is now also a West End musical with music by Elton John. My Beautiful Laundrette looks at racism and homosexuality against the backdrop of Thatcher’s economic policies.

Thatcher had an equally controversial stand-off with the Argentines in 1982. The Falkland Islands (or Las Malvinas as they are called in Argentina) are technically British territory, but Argentina considers them to be Argentine.

Two films worth watching to get a sense of Britain at the time are The Ploughman’s Lunch, which focuses on British media during the war and This is England, which looks at English nationalist culture.

Sir Bob was one of the few who successfully stood up to the Iron Lady. Photo: Wikimedia

The Protesting Popstar

It was during Thatcher’s time in power that Band Aid was created to help with famine in Ethiopia. Bob Geldof stood up to Thatcher, the tax on ‘Do They Know It’s Christmas?’ was returned to the charity and Geldof was free to say, ‘Give us your money’ as much as he liked for a good cause. This started the ball rolling for the Sir Bob and Bono to be the crusading campaigners they are today.

Billy Bragg also made his name during this time with protest songs. He started in the 80s siding with the miners and fronting Red Wedge, a group of musicians that attempted to engage people in politics and hasn’t stopped since. He still performs political punk rock and can be seen supporting groups such as Unite Against Fascism.

The 80s

Thatcher’s distaste for public expenditure and the era of the yuppie meant that the arts had to strive for commercial viability and you can taste the fruits of all this neon coloured virtuosity at Maggie’s Club in West London. Drinks are Maggie-themed and anyone who uses the toilet is subject to one of her inspiring political speeches.

If you feel that the political propaganda or the heady prices of the cocktails might be a little too much for you, never fear. You can still crimp your hair, don your leg-warmers and head to a Reflex bar or the infamous Infernos. Musical highlights will include synths, Bonnie Tyler and the Baywatch theme. Many British university towns also have a student bar that specializes in this sort of retro throwback music.

So there you have it First Pint readers – lycra-clad hedonism or bleakly lyrical protestation is yours to embrace should you wish it. Once you’ve familiarised yourself with the world of Thatcherite culture, it’s time to really embrace it as the British would by laughing at it.

Your first point of call for a Maggie giggle is Spitting Image. The satirical puppet show has been said to have ruined careers, so what are you waiting for? Grab some Babycham and enjoy some of Maggie’s best work.

Read more from The First Pint, the international's guide to all that London offers.

Keeping the underground safe and secure. Photo: British Transport Police

Getting close under the Kissing Tree in Covent Garden. Drinking mulled wine at the Cologne Christmas market along the South Bank. Gift-hunting along Oxford Street. And the tube home.

Thousands of people will use the tube during December, but few will think twice about who’s watching them. With more drinks flowing, and more shopping bags to carry, it’s little wonder that the crime rate on the Underground rises during the festive season. But tackling thieves and drunks are around 700 British Transport Police Officers, touring the trains and stations to make sure people aren’t causing trouble, or in trouble.

Inspector Gadget

One of their team is PC Matthew Shepherd, who has been with BTP for three years. He is kitted up with more tools than Inspector Gadget when we meet on a chilly Friday night at Finsbury Park station. His chest is littered with notebooks and a digital radio, masking his stab-proof vest. A strong belt carries a baton, handcuffs, and the pepper spray he has never used.

Even without the high-vis layer and traditional policeman’s hat, a BTP officer is a striking figure. Visibility is a key part of Matthew’s job: some suspicious people see him in a station and walk the other way. His presence along the Piccadilly line acts as a deterrent, and reassures people that the underground is safe. The tube is a low crime area, although over the 2009/2010 year over 6,000 thefts were reported on the tube and DLR.

The more mundane parts of the job include stopping people jumping ticket barriers and dealing with incapable drunk people, but BTP officers also deal with mental health issues, and organised pick-pocketers. “There’s no average shift. I enjoy the variety, and the possibility,” Matthew said.

Reaching Out

He also works with the Metropolitan Police on big events such as football matches or concerts, and neighbourhood policing schemes. Above ground, the team runs monthly station surgeries, where residents and passengers can voice their concerns. In November they visited the Metropolitan University to talk to freshers about staying safe on the trains; the complicated tube system means that newcomers are easily spotted and targeted by thieves.

Customer Service is a big part of the Transport Police's role. Photo: British Transport Police

The BTP have a team dedicated to tackling theft, and use monthly crime stats to flag up problem areas on the tube network. At Holloway Road tube, Matthew and his colleagues disperse, working alone to be more approachable. Matthew is quick to ask a confused-looking man if he’s OK and answer his questions; “It’s the ultimate customer service job,” he says.

The team spends 85 per cent of their time on patrol, and inevitably build up strong relationships with the Underground staff. Matthew waves to each passing train driver, and answers passenger queries on this quiet night. But soon the throngs will arrive with their parcels and party plans, and Matthew and his team will be there to keep them safe. As the calendar ticks over to 2011, they will still be there, perhaps catching a glimpse of the fireworks. “That’s a bonus,” Matthew hopes for.

How to be Tubewise:

• Avoid travelling alone.
• Know your route before you travel.
• Be aware of your surroundings; try not to miss your stop.
• Use a bag with a zip; this is a big deterrent for thieves.
• Move carriage if you feel uncomfortable.
• If you do encounter a problem, alert staff or go to a help point, which connects you directly to the BTP control room.
• If you are a victim of theft, cancel your bank cards immediately.

PC Matthew Shepherd and Rosie Scammell got in touch through Harringay Online:  www.harringayonline.com

To get in touch with Matthew’s team, please e-mail:  piccadillylinenorth.npt@btp.pnn.police.uk

To report a crime, or for general enquiries, call the BTP on: 0800 40 50 40

Transport for London: www.tfl.gov.uk

Read more from The First Pint, the international's guide to all that London offers.

Maxim Jakubowski is known as the 'king of the erotic thriller'. Photo credit: Rachel Kramer Bussel/Flickr

Maxim Jakubowski, the so-called ‘king of erotic thriller’ writes spicy, tangled stories that perfectly mixes sex and crime. His new book, I Was Waiting for You, tells the story of a young stripper and killer for hire who works between Rome and Paris on the track of a new mission to kill. As in most of his fiction, Jakubowski uses Italy and its people as a source of inspiration.

Italy is the focus of a series of encounters being held in the Italian Cultural Institute in London called “In Conversazione”. The previous conversation was with English writer Iain Pears and means to get English writers who have experience of living in Italy to discuss the Mediterranean country.

“I’ve always loved to travel and to write. Then it came natural to me to deal with topics as sex and crime,” said Jakubowski. “Italy turned out to be a perfect place for all of this!”

In the talk with journalist Barry Forshaw, Jakubowski ran through the Italian literary themes and outlining his privileged relationship with some of the leading contemporary Italian writers.

“It was thanks to the Festival of Courmayeur that I got in touch with Carlo Lucarelli, Gianrico Carofiglio and Marcello Fois,” Jakubowski said. “Their way of writing crime fiction really caught me. It’s clever and sharp.”

Italian thrillers and the UK

Being a writer and an editor, Maxim has gathered over years a lot of experience in the field and a lot of contacts with Italian writers as well.

Nonetheless, he finds that Italian culture still has some difficulties to get into the UK.

“Why do you think, for instance, that Scandinavian thrillers like Larsson’s [Editor’s note: Stieg Larsson, author of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo] have had such a great success and the Italians find it so hard to do?” asked the interviewer.

“I think it’s a problem of translation. ‘Traduttore, traditore’, they say in Italy, which means ‘translator, traitor’,” Jakubowski said. “It is true in a way, Italian is a very complicated language and not many people in the UK know it well enough to translate. I myself I wouldn’t do a great job!”

Sex and crime

Going back to his new book I Was Waiting For You, Jakubowski tells how difficult it was to dig it out from his mind: “It was supposed to take one year and it actually ended up being a 4-year-long project.”

“Why do you like talking about sex and crime? Is there a particular reason for that?” asks Forshaw.

“Well, it’s not that I specifically write about sex and crime,” Jakubowski said. “I like writing about human beings and about the way they interact with each other. Sex and crime just come into the plot naturally.”

The Maxim Jakubowski debate at the Italian Institute of Culture was the third of a series of meetings about English writers and their relationship with Italy. The next event will feature Australian-born writer Michelle Lovric and will be held on 6 December.

For more information, check the Institute’s website.

Italian Cultural Institute, 39 Belgrave Square London SW1X 8NX 020 7235 1461

Read more from The First Pint, the international's guide to all that London offers.

Roast Beef with all the trimmings.. Photo: Carmen Kong

Two weeks ago, if you asked me to name a tasty typical British cuisine, I would have said “baked beans”. Sorry, I am not even a big fan of Fish ‘n’ Chips.

Being a serious meat-lover and surrounded by good beer and meat in Germany for three years, I had considered myself doomed on this island, with a lack of good, hearty meat. But after trying the traditional British Sunday Roast, my eyes have been opened and I am dazzled by the prospect of a good life here, starting from every Sunday.

Long-standing tradition

Traditionally, British families gather every Sunday to have a long and heavy feast, consisting of a variety of meat served with potatoes and vegetables—everything roasted. Peas, turnips, parsnips, cabbage, red cabbage, and broccoli can also be served on the side, roasted or boiled. And covering it, a layer of rich, brown gravy or white sauce.

It is believed that the custom started in medieval times, when village serfs served their squires for six days a week and Sunday was the only day of rest. Families would put the meat in the oven before church and after the morning service, serfs would gather and practice their battle techniques. Then, they would sit together and enjoy the rewarding meal they deserved after a week of hard work.

The Taste Test

While I hadn’t been practicing any battle manoeuvres, I felt I needed the Sunday reward as much as the serfs did in the past. So I decided to treat myself and two German friends to one of the local pubs famous for its Sunday Roast.

Once we got to The Owl and The Pussycat on Redchurch Street, we all went for the beef and pork out of an impressive variety of roast dishes, including pumpkin and nut roasts for vegetarians. 15 minutes later, we were greeted with three, king-sized plates filled with succulent, roasted meat, a variety of vegetables and potatoes, and heavy, but not greasy, gravy.

The experience was heavenly. My friends and I did not utter a single word to each other for almost 25 minutes during the meal because we were so emerged in our private paradises, dazzled by the surprisingly rich flavour and volume of the meal.

With roasts this tasty there's no need for a dishwasher... Photo: Carmen Kong

An English patriotic ballad, written by Henry Fielding, in 1731, goes:

“When mighty Roast Beef was the Englishman’s food, it ennobled our brains and enriched our blood. Our soldiers were brave and our courtiers were good. Oh! The Roast Beef of old England, And old English Roast Beef!”

With the Sunday Roast, I might just feel a little more English a weekend at a time.

–

Recommended Pub: The Owl and the PussyCat
Serving from 1pm every Sunday until sold out.
Address: 34 Redchurch Steet, Shoreditch, London, E2 7DP
Price: £14-£16 (May seem a bit pricey, but you can literally forget about dinner after the meal!)

Read more from The First Pint, the international's guide to all that London offers.

Students congregated at the University of London to put finishing touches on signs, chants and to fuel up for the day ahead. Photo credit: Michelle Abrego

While student demonstrations on Wednesday 10 November might have been overshadowed by violence on the Tory headquarters, the intentions of the organisers, the National Union of Students and the University and College Union, were to send a clear message that students want politicians to come through on their word.

During a press conference before the national demonstration, the NUS president Aaron Porter stated that students should show their electoral weight.

“Go and locate your local MP and put maximum pressure on them,” he said. “Our job is to insure politicians follow through on their word.”

He went on to say that when fees went up four years ago students saw no improvements, making it less justified to have to pay more in the future.

“Even if the tuition fees go up, how will they better a student’s education?” he added.

An estimated 50,000 attended the rally, which almost doubles the amount of people expected and made it the largest demonstration in over a decade.

“We’re here today to send out a clear message,” Porter said when asked about violence. “It’s the nature of demonstrations. We have a strong case without needing to resort to violence. What we need is a large, peaceful demonstration.”

The march covered a route pre-approved by police from Horse Guards Avenue to a rally outside the Tate Britain. There, protesters heard from UCU General Secretary Sally Hunt, NUS president Aaron Porter and TUC deputy general secretary Frances O’Grady.

Will Britain have more students studying abroad than international students?

Signs students held at the demonstration ranged from clever and serious to witty and silly. Photo credit: Michelle Abrego

Public universities in the UK will become the most expensive in the world, according to UCU President Alan Whitaker.

“It’s the wrong time, we’re the only country cutting education [funding],” he said

Whitaker also believes it is a possibility that UK students might start to seek education elsewhere while international students might forgo studying in the UK at all.

“Students don’t have to go very far, they can go to an [English-speaking school] in Holland which is closer than going to Aberdeen or Edinburgh, and they’ll be paying a lot less,” he said.

International students also joined in on the march. A Greek student who did not want to be named said: “We came here because there were things we couldn’t study in our own countries. Financially speaking, it’s still expensive for us, but it’s the quality of education we are here fighting for.”

Another great product from Cincopa Send Files. Cincopa video hosting solution for your website.

Read more from The First Pint, the international's guide to all that London offers.

French Radio London, launching on November 17, is hoping to appeal to both francophones and British francophiles.. Photo: Al Ianni/Flickr

Like London’s streets, the airwaves in this busy town experience heavy traffic. Some stations focus on chat and debate, while others concentrate on playing plenty of music. When radio entrepreneur Pascal Grierson considered the range on offer, however, he saw something missing. He wondered why London’s French connection didn’t have a radio presence. Pascal told Alex Court about his vision to change this.

French Radio London launches on 17 November at midday.

Music:
Ca me fait du bien – Emmanuel Moire
Ghetto Millionaire – Black Mumba

Read more from The First Pint, the international's guide to all that London offers.

Protest against Fees and Cuts, 19 October 2010, London. Photo credit: Caroline Bodin

The government announced a new proposed cap last Wednesday; universities will be allowed to charge students with fees as high as £9,000 per year. Some universities are now considering privatising as a result of the announcement.

Any undergraduate taking up a BA course starting in the 2012 academic year could face a pricey bill, climbing up to £18,000 by the end of their studies. Universities have already experienced an increase in the number of applications for the 2011 academic year. It seems students are trying to get into university before the government’s proposal is put into practice.

The government’s proposal

The Secretary of State for Education, Michael Gove told the BBC Radio 4′s Today programme on Wednesday 3 November, “It doesn’t seem fair to me that someone who’s working as a postman or a miner should subsidise the benefits of people who go on to become millionaires.”

The government also argues that high earner graduates will pay more interest on loans, whereas graduates earning less then £21,000 a year will pay virtually no interest on loans. According to David Willetts, Universities Minister “a quarter of graduates will pay less overall than they do at present.”

Lib Dem’s backbench MP rebellion

Since the announcement was made on Wednesday, some Lib Dem backbenchers have warned the Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg that they are not prepared to break their pledge.

The Liberal Democrats had signed a pledge to vote against any rise in tuition fees, prior to the last general election. But other MPs argue that the new coalition government supersedes that pledge.

On her website’s blog page, the junior Home Office minister and Lib Dem MP Lynne Featherstone posted a letter on Higher education following Wednesday’s announcement. Although she feels that Vince Cable has worked really hard to “produce a more progressive way of funding Higher Education”, she also says she,  ”despair(s) that virtually the entire conversation around Higher Education is about the economics and nothing else. (…) I won’t make a final decision until the final proposals are on the table. I will have three choices in theory: support the Government (and as a Minister this would be the norm), abstain as per the coalition agreement or vote against as per the NUS pledge.”

Tomorrow’s national protest

The NUS (National Union of Students) and the UCU (University and College Union) have organised a national demonstration against cuts to further and higher education : “We will march 10.11.10” in Central London on Wednesday 10 November 2010.

Watch our interview with the president of the University of London Union, Clare Solomon:

Itw Clare Solomon 8.11.10.mp4
Uploaded by CB329. – Up-to-the minute news videos.

Read more from The First Pint, the international's guide to all that London offers.

The election of Lutfur Rahman has taken the borough of Tower Hamlets by storm. Photo credit: Alan Stanton/Flickr

Lutfur Rahman, a controversial independent candidate, won the election to become the first directly-elected mayor of Tower Hamlets. The First Pint investigates what made his candidacy so polemic.

The referendum to have an elected mayor for the borough who would serve a four-year term had already attracted its fair share of controversy. Previously, Tower Hamlets had a council cabinet system, where leaders of the council would serve for just one year.

Respect Party councillors petitioned to have a referendum on whether or not Tower Hamlets should have a mayor with more control over council services and the petition got the backing of over 10,000 signatories.

Critics, however, say that many of the signatures were false, but there weren’t enough of them to invalidate the petition. Others maintained that a diverse area like Tower Hamlets, which spans the East End and the Docklands, could not be represented by just one candidate.

When it came to polling day on 6 May, the majority voted ‘yes’ to a directly elected mayor.

The electoral campaign trail

There was more controversy when Rahman was deselected as the Labour party candidate after allegations of fraud. Helal Abbas, the previous leader of the council, had submitted documents to the National Executive Committee of the Labour party making these allegations and questioning Rahman’s links to the local Islamic Forum of Europe.

Despite this, Rahman decided to run as an independent candidate and maintained that the allegations had no basis. He had the support of George Galloway, founder of the Respect Party and, surprisingly, Ken Livingstone who is running for London mayor as the Labour candidate.

Labour rules specify that candidates that support the opposition candidate must be immediately expelled from the party and eight Labour councillors had already been expelled for supporting Rahman after he left Labour.

Livingstone, also a member of the Labour party, joined Rahman on the campaign trail, arguing that he was only encouraging people to put Rahman as second choice after Labour’s replacement candidate Helal Abbas, to keep the Conservatives out.

The campaign was aggressive, with Labour complaining that Rahman had fought a dirty campaign: there were questions about Rahman’s links to Islamist associations, his funding and the possible influence of Bangladeshi satellite channels.

In the end, Rahman won with a 51.76% majority and more than twice as many votes as Helal Abbas.

Mr Rahman has been accused of involvement with the Islamic Forum of Europe in an area of London notorious for its ethnic clashes. Photo courtesy of Tower Hamlets Council.

Troubles for the new mayor

Even after this, detractors said his legitimacy as mayor was undermined by the low turnout at the elections. Only 25.6% of those eligible voted. However, first-time mayoral elections in other London boroughs have had similar turnout levels.

Now Rahman faces the job of proving that he can unite a borough that encompasses poor council estates, a large ethnic population and the skyscrapers around Canary Wharf.

He is likely to have a tough time ahead of him. He has already had to take a pay cut of £10,000. Although mayors in other boroughs are paid between £75,000 and £78,000 a year, the Labour Group put forward an amendment to the constitutional report. This was passed and the former solicitor will be paid £65,000 a year.

Rahman described it as ‘petty’ politics at the first council meeting, which was a tense occasion: the chairman of the meeting had to threaten to exclude members of the public gallery.

Multicultural Tower Hamlets

This will be a testy period for him as he first has to try to leave behind the controversial politics of this largely negative campaign. The accusations about his associations with Islamic fundamentalist groups are a serious problem, regardless of the truth in them, in light of recent reports about the radicalisation of young students at London universities. He will have to look after the Bangladeshi community without being solely at their beck and call.

Tower Hamlets is a diverse borough that contains a Caribbean community and other Asian communities, not to mention the wealthy Docklands area. It will be a difficult balance to maintain.

Read more from The First Pint, the international's guide to all that London offers.

Iranian contemporary artist Hossein Khosrojerdi. Photo courtesy of the UKIFF

For the very first time in London, Iranian cinema will screen its best productions at the Iranian Film Festival from 19 to 24 November.

A lot of people, including The First Pint, took part at the preview that was held last week at the Roxy Bar in Tower Hill to launch the event. One of the aims of the festival is to gather people together and to give those who are interested the opportunity to get in touch with people working in the industry.

As a member of the Selection Committee, leading Iranian contemporary artist Hossein Khosrojerdi was there to bring the account of his experience of artist and intellectual in the country.

Hossein has now been living in London for the last year and a half taking part of the intellectual life of the city and promoting his country’s culture.

“I was honoured to be chosen as a member of the Selection Committee,” he said “I think Iranian cinema has a lot to say to the rest of the world.”

Thanks to the work of directors like Mohsen Makhmalbaf, Iranian cinema is famous worldwide for its hinting at hidden meanings, conceptual concerns, and its silent and contemplative atmosphere.

“I think Iranian movies at their best have some peculiarities. Not only in the content, but also in the way of displaying images and in the use of light in photography,” Hossein added.

“A work of resistance”

Hossein Khosrojerdi tells us about the resurgence in Iranian culture and film after the revolution. Photo credit: Lillo Montalto

Not only is Iranian cinema clearly a “work of resistance,” as Pejman Danagi, one of the organisers of the Festival, said. After the revolution of 1979, and even more lately after the rise of Ahmadinejad in the tragic circumstances of June 2009 election, the intellectual life in the country significantly changed.

“It’s strange actually,” Hossein says “it seems like arts and culture got a big speed-up. The intellectual community grew bigger and bigger. Most of all, before the revolution there was a unique understanding of Iranian culture and afterwards everything fell apart and artists started to experiment in every direction.”

This is exactly what the festival aims to do: showing to English public the results of those experiments and giving an account of the cultural life in Iran.

“In Iran everything is hard, but I still believe in my culture and I think the 1^st Iranian Film Festival has done a praiseworthy job to promote it,” said Hossein in the end.

The 1^st Iranian Film Festival runs from 19 – 26 November. For more information, visit the Festival website or check out The First Pint’s preview of the event..

There is also a free film screening at the Brunei Gallery at the School of Oriental and Asian Studies (SOAS) on 16 November at 18.30h. Registration is required for the event – for more information, visit the website.

Read more from The First Pint, the international's guide to all that London offers.

Tube Workers on strike at Finsbury Park station. Photo: Rosie Scammell

Today over 11,000 tube workers went on strike. The majority of the public assume the action is over pay, but the RMT and TSSA unions cite a more dangerous motive.Transport for London plans to cut 800 operational jobs, in addition to other measures which staff fear will put passengers at risk.

London Underground rejected the strikes called by the unions as “completely unnecessary”, and said that 75 per cent of stations were being served today. Despite this, strike action against Transport for London’s plans jobs has received wide support politically.

A London Assembly motion, with cross-party support of Labour, Liberal Democrats and the Green Party, said the changes “will disproportionately impact on those passengers who have a disability, [and] passengers will feel less safe on poorly staffed stations.”

An Early Day Motion tabled last week by Labour MP John McDonnell, describes TFL’s decision as “a serious mistake” that will “leave passengers feeling less secure and staff less able to cope in emergencies.”

Tube workers say the cuts will compromise passengers safety on the London Underground. Photo: Rosie Scammell

Health and Safety
Safety has for today been left in the hands of volunteer staff, some of which the TSSA say have never worked on the underground before, and will not know what to do in the event of a crisis. The British Transport Police will also be patrolling the stations. PC Matthew Shepherd, working at Finsbury Park station during the strike, said that his priority was “To protect the picketers; to make sure there’s no attempted intimidation of them by management or the public.”

RMT has organised picket lines at over sixty stations; the majority started at 5am this morning. Picketers at Finsbury Park station explained that track inspection have already been cut from once a week to once a fortnight, and warned that an accident was inevitable without returning to frequent track tests.

One union member, who asked to remain nameless, said “It’s a pleasure to come to work; we enjoy our jobs. But we will always put our customers first.” Situations that operational staff have dealt with at Finsbury Park include a shooting, stabbings, and attempted suicide. “A CCTV camera won’t come to anyone’s aid,” he said.

Public Support
This is the third tube strike, and RMT members have noticed increased understanding and support from passengers. Rachel Swinburne, 24, said that despite her journey time being doubled, the strikes were “the only way to have a huge affect, and one day of inconvenience will be worth it in the end.”

Despite experiencing “the most ridiculous bus journey” this morning, Nicola Hawkes, 37, commended the unions for the advanced warning given, and said that “they should do it if it’s about cuts.”

A fourth 24-hour strike is planned for November 28 and 29.

Read more from The First Pint, the international's guide to all that London offers.