I am personally struck by the staggering fact that London spends over £3m annually on a 20-minute firework display to ring in the New Year. Meanwhile, approximately 3,200 people sleep on the city's streets, struggling not just against the harsh winter conditions, but also against the societal apathy that seems to surround their predicament every night.

As we marvel at this extravagant spectacle, the sound of fireworks echoes underneath the city's bridges and in cold, dimly lit corners where our fellow citizens lay their tired heads. This, to me and many others, feels like an inconceivably egregious display of waste: £3m spent on fleeting moments of spectacle, while thousands are left to suffer the brutal realities of homelessness.

Redirecting these funds could make a tangible, life-changing difference. This money could provide emergency and long-term accommodation, fund valuable support services, and potentially change the lives of these vulnerable individuals who are largely ignored. This is not just a practical proposition, but a moral one: in one of the world's richest cities surely we can use our resources responsibly and compassionately, starting with this.

Let us start the New Year not with a bang, but with an act of common humanity. I urge you to support this petition: Reroute London’s New Year's Eve firework funds to support the city's homeless population. Please sign now.