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Two households, both alike in dignity, in fair Earls Court where we lay our scene... are the Johnson and Goldsmith clans set to fall out? The usually closely aligned families seem close to a tiff over the proposed redevelopment of Earls Court Exhibition Centre. The scheme, backed by Mayor Boris Johnson, has roused Ben Goldsmith, green investment banker and brother of Zac. He has this morning signed a petition demanding that “a ‘pause’ on the demolition be announced with immediate effect”.

“I used to live alongside Earls Court, and I visit several exhibitions there each year,” says Ben. “With every conversion to (luxury) housing of a community focal point, a pub, a school playing field, an exhibition centre, London becomes less interesting, less alive. And in this case it’s even more inexplicable because Earls Court is a thriving, viable business!”

The Earls Court venue is where Pink Floyd first performed their Dark Side of the Moon suite in 1973. It used to host the Brit Awards and was home to the volleyball for the 2012 Olympics.

When Boris signed the concert hall’s death warrant last year, Green Party London Assembly member Darren Johnson claimed the Mayor was “condemning this part of London into a playground for the super-rich”. Now campaigners hoping for a stay of execution have gathered almost 2,000 supporters.

With rumours circulating that Zac Goldsmith is acting as a “Friend of Boris” — helping to galvanise support for the Mayor in the event of a leadership election — The Londoner would hate to see disharmony between London’s very own Montagues and Capulets.