Traffic chaos and road closures across Kent as queue of Dover lorries on M20 swells to staggering 25 miles April 7, 2022 A 25-mile coastbound stretch of the M20 is currently closed from junction eight near Maidstone to junction 11 around Westenhanger to store thousands of lorries heading for the Port of Dover or Eurotunnel as part of so-called Operation Brock. The queue is causing chaos on surrounding local roads with traffic on major routes in Kent [...]
Boris Johnson: ‘Nuclear is coming home as UK will have a new reactor every year’ April 7, 2022 Prime Minister Boris Johnson said this morning “nuclear is coming home” as a result of the Government’s energy strategy. In a social media video to promote the plan, which is finally being released on Thursday after repeated delays and Cabinet wrangling, the Prime Minister said: “In the country that was the first to split the [...]
Fuel robbery: Thugs manage to steal £250,000 of diesel from Babcock-run tanker on high-security Royal Navy base April 7, 2022 Thieves reportedly managed to steal a huge volume of diesel from a high-security naval base, as the Ministry of Defence has launched an investigation. They made off with fuel from tankers at HMNB Devonport in Plymouth that was used to power electricity generators at the base. The stolen fuel was due to fill up generators [...]
Travel chaos escalates as 23-mile M20 stretch closed after ferry shortage April 7, 2022 Travel chaos continued to escalate today as a 23-mile stretch of M20 was closed due to the ongoing ferry shortage. The motorway was closed from Maidstone to Westenhanger, while thousands of lorries were stuck in bottlenecks on their way for the Port of Dover or the Eurotunnel. Delays at Channel crossings were driven by a [...]
Passenger rights take off as non-EU airlines including BA and easyJet to be made liable for compensation April 7, 2022 Non EU airlines operating flights on behalf of carriers from the bloc will be liable for compensation for delayed and cancelled flights. Issued today by the Court of Justice of the European Union, the verdict represents another boost to passenger rights. “Passengers of a delayed flight may claim compensation from a non-EU air carrier where [...]
Corporate divorce battle between Airbus and Qatar Airways reaches UK judges April 7, 2022 Airbus and Qatar Airways faced each other in a UK court for the first time today since their public feud erupted. The Qatari airline asked a UK judge to prevent the plane manufacturer from revoking an order for 50 A321neo jets. The petition came as the carrier accused Airbus of cancelling the order as a [...]
Boris Johnson exploits anti-Russia sentiment to put blame for rising energy bills solely on Moscow April 7, 2022 Prime Minister Boris Johnson said rising energy bills “absolutely soared” after Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. “We just can’t carry on like this,” he said in a social media video promoting his new energy strategy. The plan has been criticised for not saying enough about tackling high bills now, instead focusing on longer-term shifts in [...]
Airports face two months of disruption amid staff shortage crisis April 7, 2022 Passengers are facing two months of disruption at UK airports as bosses struggle to recruit new staff and covid rips through the workforce.
Union calls to ‘beef up’ minimum wage enforcement powers in wake of P&O scandal April 7, 2022 Plans to make companies pay workers minimum wage will be “unworkable” if enforcement powers are not beefed up, said union TUC today following the P&O scandal. “A lack of enforcement will kick the legs out from under the Government’s minimum wage plans,” said TUC’s general secretary Frances O’Grady. “Our weak enforcement regime lets rogue employers [...]
Volkswagen reduces model range as part of electric drive April 6, 2022 Volkswagen will reduce its model range to focus on more profitable vehicles as part of its electric drive, finance chief Arno Antlitz told the Financial Times today. The group – who owns brands such as Seat, Skoda Audi and Porsche – will cut down on models, going from the current 100 diesel and fuel vehicles [...]