Sadiq Khan is planning an extraordinary move out of the iconic “glass testicle” GLA building by Tower Bridge, to a small GLA-owned conference centre called “The Crystal” out in the docklands. The current GLA building currently costs £11.1m a year in rent, meaning the Mayor would be able to boast “a £55 million over five years” if the move goes ahead. In a statement the Mayor said this morning:

“I’m consulting on plans for the GLA to leave the current City Hall building next year and relocate to The Crystal at the Royal Docks in Newham…”

“…In the current financial context, and with the looming black hole in London’s public finances, it would be negligent not to do so.”

Which is interesting because Khan has ballooned his own staffing budget by £30 million in the last five years. Instead of cutting back his own staff to Boris Johnson’s levels, Khan is planning a move forty minutes out of town. Going to desperate lengths just to keep his expensive PR team…