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The Champagne Socialism of Sadiq Khan’s £151,465 Per Year Deputy Mayor for Culture, Justine Simons OBE

If there were a prize for the UK's biggest champagne socialist, Charlotte Gill would nominate Justine Simons OBE, London’s £151,465 per year Deputy Mayor for Culture (one of Sadiq Khan's nine deputy mayors).

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If there were a prize for the UK’s biggest champagne socialist, I'd nominate Justine Simons OBE, London’s £151,465 per year Deputy Mayor for Culture and Creative Industries (one of Sadiq Khan’s nine deputy mayors).

Simons, in case you didn’t know, is responsible for commissioning the Fourth Plinth in Trafalgar Square, meaning she is behind its latest exhibit Lady in Blue – which has got everyone talking, to say the least.

In a press release announcing its unveiling, Simons said: “Today marks the next chapter, as we unveil a new artwork by Tschabalala Self, one of the most compelling artists of her generation. Monumental in scale – but at the same time relatable, Lady in Blue strides confidently through the city with dignity and purpose and I know London is going to love her!”

The year before Simons unveiled Mil Veces un Instante, the 15th 'artwork' for the Fourth Plinth, which was created by Mexican artist Teresa Margolles and features plaster casts of the faces of 700 trans people. “Here in London our diversity is our greatest strength”, wrote Simons about the exhibit at the time.

When Simons isn’t unveiling so-called 'artwork', she can be found at numerous fabulous events, as you can see from photographs from her social media output…

…or on her expenses form:

You can also see that Simons has no issue invoicing taxpayers for taxis – despite Sadiq Khan’s administration constantly telling Londoners to walk, cycle or take public transport, as well as imposing extremely expensive anti-car

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19 Comments
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Gezza England
Gezza England
2 days ago

Yet another leftie hypocritical whore sponging off the taxpayer. Do you think she would block me on X if I her told her what she really is?

coviture2020
coviture2020
2 days ago

Divorce and reality come to mind

RTSC
RTSC
2 days ago

But I thought the UK didn’t have any culture ….. except imported African and Asian cultures, that is.

ElaineH
ElaineH
3 days ago

and there is another 8 deputy mayors probably much like her. Can anyone save us from these maniacs. Lunatics and asylums come to mind.

Matt Dalby
Matt Dalby
3 days ago

Wtf is the Lady in Blue meant to represent? It sticks out like a sore thumb and looks like a scaled up version of something that would be given away with a McDonalds happy meal or inside a kinder egg. How much did this cheap tacky looking monstrosity cost?

GasBoy75
GasBoy75
3 days ago
Reply to  Matt Dalby

I believe it’s a snip at £175,000

huxleypiggles
huxleypiggles
3 days ago

Why does the little khant need nine deputies ? He is clearly doing an amazing job of destroying our capital city so what are the deps doing other than screwing taxpayers ?

Andante
Andante
3 days ago
Reply to  huxleypiggles

Just wait until he gets his hands on the devolved ‘Burnham Bung’ money and the hotel tax
he’ll have even more deputies and implement even more ‘smash society’ policies.

If London or another city ever elects a Green Party Mayor you’ll get even more grotesque
stuff – drag shows for childern, porn and puberty blockers for children.

Perhaps even a Deputy Vice Mayor for Sharia Law.

Tonka Rigger
Tonka Rigger
3 days ago

She is being paid to indulge her hobby. And very handsomely so.

DiscoveredJoys
DiscoveredJoys
3 days ago

Defund the BBC and defund the Arts Councils. That will undercut the claque providing the enthusiasm for such wasteful patronage.

BS Whitworth
BS Whitworth
3 days ago

Celebrating the grossly obese and sexually deluded. Perfect for our times.

transmissionofflame
transmissionofflame
3 days ago

Thanks for this article.

The frustrating thing is that having a “Mayor For Culture” is seen as normal.

At a national level, we have this:

The UK Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) has an allocated day-to-day resource spending budget of approximately £1.5bn to £1.6bn, alongside about £0.8bn in capital spending for the 2025–2026 period

So our money is taken from us and absorbed into activity that someone else decides is beneficial, instead of leaving it with us and letting us choose, and this is seen as “democracy” because the people deciding have been voted for by someone, or appointed by someone somebody voted for, and some of their policies may have been mentioned before the election. Letting people spend their own money is the ultimate form of democracy because then money is spent on EXACTLY what people want. We’re so lost.

huxleypiggles
huxleypiggles
3 days ago

Good point tof.

Jack the dog
Jack the dog
3 days ago

Funny how all this cultural money is spent on complete shit which all normal people hate, by ‘artists’ with unpronounceable names.

transmissionofflame
transmissionofflame
3 days ago
Reply to  Jack the dog

They have to do that to demonstrate their superiority over normal folk

GasBoy75
GasBoy75
3 days ago
Reply to  Jack the dog

Would it cheer you up Jack, if I told you that thing on the plinth only cost us £175,000?

Gezza England
Gezza England
2 days ago
Reply to  GasBoy75

And yet there is no money left Jodrell Bank…

ChrisA
ChrisA
3 days ago

Perhaps a website is needed with an easily shareable URL laying out the Lefts’ propensity for living like kings whilst espousing living like cavemen to the plebs?

OlaffFelts
OlaffFelts
3 days ago

Charlotte you are a real journalist. Keep up the great work.

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