Justine Simons, the City Hall powerhouse shaping London's cultural landscape
She probably has the best contacts book in London, but Justine Simons is too modest to boast about it.
“Your words, not mine,” she laughs as we talk about her being the “go to” person for her boss, London mayor Sadiq Khan, when his policies are in need of some celebrity sparkle.
But who else to credit for James Corden showing up when Khan hosted an expat event in Los Angeles on his US tour? Or who better to have in the room when ABBA’s Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus visit City Hall with an extraordinary idea for a new show?
As deputy mayor for culture, she’s on everyone’s guest list. Last month she saw David Tennant play Macbeth at the Donmar. On Sunday there was the Baftas. The Olivier awards are in the diary.
Next month she’ll jet off to a culture summit in Abu Dhabi. Surprisingly, Taylor Swift tickets are yet to be secured.
In the past couple of years, there’s been
