‘Great train robbery’: Labour outrage at government cuts to HS2 November 18, 2021 Labour has labelled the government’s decision to cut the eastern leg of HS2, which would have connected Birmingham to Leeds, a “great train robbery”. Transport secretary Grant Shapps confirmed today, after a series of press stories this week, that the eastern leg of the high speed rail line will instead go from Birmingham to near [...]
TfL: Network planning for “managed decline” and return to 1970s without Whitehall funding November 18, 2021 LONDON’S transport network is headed for “managed decline” that will echo the 1970s if central government refuses to fill a growing funding black hole. Late on Wednesday evening, TfL’s finance committee published the bleakest assessment yet of the future of London’s public transport network, outlining an 18 per cent reduction in bus services and a [...]
Lower than forecast ULEZ receipts hit transport network’s coffers November 18, 2021 The expansion of London’s Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) has been so successful in driving down the use of heavily-polluting cars that it has blown a £600m hole in TfL’s forecasted budgets. The ULEZ was expanded out to the north and south circular in October as part of the Mayor of London Sadiq Khan’s push [...]
Many Tory MPs furious as Boris Johnson admits he ‘crashed the car’ in Tory sleaze row November 18, 2021 Prime Minister Boris Johnson urgently needs to rebuild public trust after admitting he “crashed the car into a ditch” in the row over standards at Westminster, according to warnings from his own MPs. Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab insisted ministers are committed to “fixing the problem” amid continuing frustration and anger among Tory MPs at [...]
Fresh restrictions blanket new Covid epicentre – Europe November 18, 2021 Ireland has become the latest European country to impose fresh Covid-19 restrictions, as the continent becomes the epicentre of the pandemic. From today, the country’s population will work from home where possible, though universities will not sink back into online teaching. Hospitality has also been impacted, with bars and restaurants having been ordered to [...]
Boris Johnson admits ex-MP Owen Paterson broke Westminster lobbying rule November 17, 2021 Boris Johnson has today admitted Owen Paterson broke Westminster’s lobbying rules, just two weeks after his government tried to get the ex-MP off the hook for a recommended 30-day suspension. Johnson told parliament’s Liaison Committee today that “there’s no question [Paterson] had fallen foul of the rules on paid advocacy as far as I could [...]
‘Mish-conduct’: Johnson hammers Starmer over previous paid legal work November 17, 2021 Boris Johnson has tried to put Sir Keir Starmer front and centre of Westminster’s sleaze scandal as he called the Labour leader out for previous legal work he has done while sitting in parliament. Johnson repeatedly hectored Starmer in Prime Minister’s Questions (PMQs) today over £25,000 of legal work he did at the end of [...]
European Commission proposes import ban to prevent deforestation November 17, 2021 The European Commission has proposed a law aimed at curbing the import of commodities linked to deforestation.
Blackout Warning: Germany suspends approval for Nord Stream 2 pipeline as energy crisis deepens November 17, 2021 EUROPE is bracing itself for an energy crisis this winter after approval for Russia’s controversial gas pipeline into Germany was suspended by regulators. Gas prices shot up again on Wednesday as traders reacted to the news, with UK natural gas futures up 17 per cent on the day and the European benchmark also spiking by [...]
UK High Court jails nine Insulate Britain activists November 17, 2021 The UK’s High Court has jailed nine climate activists from the Insulate Britain group for breaching an injunction that sought to ban the group from blocking roads. The protestors have been jailed from between three to six months. The controversial environmental group, which seeks to properly insulate the UK’s homes in a bid to reduce [...]