This website was launched on 1 February 2017 by me, award-winning former Guardian London commentator Dave Hill. I run and edit the site. Its goal is to provide the best possible news, analysis and commentary about the UK capital’s politics, development and culture.

OnLondon carries articles by a wide range of contributors who disagree about many things, but share a common desire to improve the quality of reporting and debate about London and to make it a better place for those who live and work here. Whatever the Good City is, we want London to be it.

Together, we strive to provide fair and objective news coverage, expert analysis and well-argued comment from a variety of respectable perspectives. On London strives to abide by the BBC’s Editorial Standards. It also seeks to be an antidote to populism.

Many people regard London as the best city on Earth. Many people believe it has serious problems. Often, they are the same people. On London knows what they mean.

 

Finances

Since it was launched on 1 February 2017, On London has grown from a very modest affair into something bigger and better that I hope and believe I can keep going and growing. I raised over £25,000 through a crowdfunding campaign in February and early March 2018 and spent a chunk of that money on the current bespoke site – created by the excellent Hutch Agency – which launched in September 2018.

Since then, funding for the site has come from four sources: donations from readers; income from chairing or organising London-related events; occasional pieces of freelance writing and consultancy work; and my dwindling personal savings.

Readers who donate a minimum of £5 a month (or £50 a year) become supporters of the website. They are added to the mailing list for my Thursday evening email, called On London Extra, which provides information and commentary on a range of London issues and links to an array of different sources, and are entitled to free entry to On London online events. Supporters provide the majority of the website’s income, so the more the merrier.

On London carries no adverts to annoy you, has no paywall and does not publish “sponsored content”. There is no link between clicks and revenue.

Since late summer 2021 On London has been carrying “supported content” in the form of articles about locations of historical interest in Holborn, Farringdon, Clerkenwell, Bloomsbury and St Giles, which are the five areas of London that fall within the territory of the Central District Alliance (CDA) business improvement district and more recently pieces about the EC BID area. “Supported content” means articles over which On London has full and sole editorial control on a theme a friendly client has suggested and agreed to fund. On London‘s supported content arrangements are based on the Guardian’s “supported by” model.

I am proud to say that On London is able to pay genuine freelance writers sums that are competitive with the online rates of several Big Media outlets.

 

Comments, Corrections and Complaints

I take a very strict line on publishing readers’ comments, which have to be moderated by me first. I don’t stand for abuse, false claims, gratuitous unpleasantness, wild allegations, conspiracy theorists, populist rants or bores. Comments must enhance the website, not make it poisonous. I will edit comments in the interests of succinctness or clarity.

If a published article turns out to contain an error I will correct it, and if that error is a significant factual one I will make a note at the bottom of the piece acknowledging this, with the date the correction was made and an apology if the error was serious or anyone was mistakenly misrepresented.

Readers can take issue with articles in comments on the terms set out above or, if they prefer, or have some more general point to make about On London they can email davehillonlondon@gmail.com. Abusive or malicious correspondence will be either ignored or firmly responded to.

I hope you enjoy reading On London.

Best Wishes,

Dave Hill.

Last updated 30 July 2021