As UK faces three days of crippling train strikes Grant Shapps reveals 16-point plan August 18, 2022 Transport secretary Grant Shapps has unveiled a 16-point plan in a bid to tackle ‘Luddite’ unions, as industrial action brings the UK to a standstill. The announcement comes as 40,000 rail workers in the RMT and TSSA unions walk out on Thursday bringing much of the UK rail network to a grinding halt. A second [...]
Just 20 per cent of rail network to operate on Thursday and Saturday as UK braces for next wave of strikes August 17, 2022 A fifth of rail services running on half of the network will be running on Thursday and Saturday, as industrial action is set to bring the country to a grinding halt. Network Rail has advised commuters to not use trains unless absolutely necessary, with limited services available for much of the country. This comes after [...]
Revealed: As bills rise for millions of Brits, this is how much profit energy suppliers make. August 16, 2022 Energy bosses were hauled in front of ministers last week amid nightmare predictions that the average household bill might climb to £5,000 from April after a winter of soaring heating prices. Energy companies have been calling for immediate help for customers. The price cap on bills prevents the firms from taking excess profits from the [...]
Warnings for road and rail as extreme weather continues and heatwave turns to storms August 15, 2022 The UK rail and road network is bracing itself for the impact of severe weather as the heatwave comes to an end and thunderstorms are expected. With Britain having experienced its driest July since 1935, the Met Office issued a yellow weather warning on the weekend as heavy rain is expected across large parts of [...]
Govt reassures commuters next year’s rail fares rise will be below inflation rate August 15, 2022 The government said this morning that next year’s increase in rail fares in England will be below the current rate of inflation. Changes in regulated fares such as season tickets are traditionally implemented on the first working day of the year and based on the previous July’s retail price index (RPI), which for 2022 will [...]
Commuter numbers into City of London nearly double with Wednesdays and Thursdays busiest August 12, 2022 Commuter numbers into the City of London have nearly doubled since last year and the lifting of Covid-19 restrictions in England, according to new data from mobile operator O2. The network said the data – which it gathered based on connections to O2 mobile masts in major commuter, hospitality and retail hubs – had found [...]
Fears of energy blackouts posing threat to meat and milk supplies August 11, 2022 Supplies of milk and meat could be endangered if the country is forced to deal with blackouts later this year, industry chiefs have warned. According to a report in The Telegraph newspaper, power outages would inhibit food producers including those in the dairy industry. Some industries will not be able to prevent or stagger certain [...]
100,000 rebel Brits pledge non-payment of energy bills by cancelling their direct debits August 11, 2022 Over a hundred thousand people will soon have added their name to a pledge to cancel their direct debits for gas and electricity on 1 October if the government fails to adequately address the crisis of sky rocketing energy bills. The live tally of number of pledges can be viewed at dontpay.uk – currently at [...]
Sunak or Truss should have ‘backbone’ to strike free movement deal with EU, says Ryanair chief August 11, 2022 The next prime minister should have the “backbone” to secure a deal with the European Union to open up the free movement of labour, Ryanair’s chief executive Michael O’Leary said this morning. He told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “I think the first thing they should do to boost the British economy is prioritise a [...]
Era of 10 euro budget tickets is officially over, says Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary August 11, 2022 Ryanair’s chief said this morning that the airline’s trademark 10 euro fares will not be seen for a “number of years” due to soaring fuel prices. In an interview with BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, Michael O’Leary said he expected Ryanair’s average fare to rise by about 10 euros over the next five years, from [...]