When I was growing up in the suburbs of London half a century ago, the city was a symbol of our country’s post-war decline.

Critics declared that Britain’s capital – with its crime-ridden streets, empty buildings, dire restaurants, dismal schools, declining docks and falling tax revenues – was doomed.

And when I went into town with friends on filthy British Rail trains, we saw few signs of any ethnic minorities unless we ventured into “their” areas, such as Notting Hill, which was far from the smart enclave it is today.

It has been glorious to see my home city emerge from decay to erupt back into life and regain its greatness. The capital is a cultural and financial powerhouse – and the engine of Britain’s economy with the fastest growth, best productivity and highest number of businesses per capita.

From the air that we breathe through to the city’s restaurants, schools and transport, there has been a dramatic surge in quality.

It is a stunning success – fostered by Margaret Thatcher’s “Big Bang” that deregulated the City of London – that should make the heart of any true British patriot swell with pride.

Instead a torrent of loud voices on the hard right insist London is doomed again, portraying the capital as an urban hellhole. Reform UK Party leader Nigel Farage, who usually likes to pose as a man of the people, claims it is no longer........

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