London Underground wins national award for best train operator of the year, thanks to drops in journey time and ongoing modernisation efforts February 27, 2016 While it might not seem like it when you're squashed onto a platform with what feels like every other worker in London, counting down the minutes until the next train when there's been "minor" delays, commuters on the London Underground have actually got it pretty good. Yesterday, London Underground announced that it had been named [...]
Ahead of Budget 2016 on 16 March, the Resolution Foundation urges government to help more over 50s into work and rethink its old-fashioned approach to unemployment February 27, 2016 A think tank has offered a word of advice to chancellor George Osborne this morning ahead of the budget: if this government wants to achieve full employment, it must focus on helping over 50s get into work. Ahead of publishing a full report on employment next week, the Resolution Foundation urged government to put helping over 50s [...]
Venezuela: Oil rich nation is sinking deeper into crisis – and could be heading for a default on its debt February 26, 2016 Once the leading light of Latin America, low oil prices and state overspending have left the economy shattered. Now it’s heading for default on its debts. “I don’t think the market’s in any doubt that it will default, they just don’t know when,” says Paul Wetterwald, chief economist of Indosuez Wealth Management. “It is impossible to [...]
Flats with no windows are now on sale in Brixton for £465,000 February 26, 2016 Flats with no windows have gone on sale in Brixton for £465,000 as part of a development that estate agents have described as a “sanctuary of calm”. The “luxury development” is an office conversion on Acre Lane, near Brixton tube station. The property developers Build Consultants have been working on the block of one and two-bed [...]
Iran holds first election since sanctions over its nuclear programme were lifted February 26, 2016 Millions of Iranians went to the polls for the first time since it was freed from sanctions following a deal with world powers over its nuclear programme today. The two crucial elections could alter the balance of power between moderates and hardliners in two of the Iran's key institutions. Both are currently dominated by the latter. Around 5,000 candidates [...]
Law Society urges solicitors to adopt fairer recruitment practices, such as blind recruiting, in bid to promote social mobility and improve diversity in the legal profession February 26, 2016 Solicitors have been encouraged to revamp their recruitment practices in a bid to improve social mobility in the legal sector. The Law Society has today published guidance for firms on developing recruitment processes that are fair for applicants from all backgrounds. Suggestions include increasing awareness of unconscious bias, adopting blind recruitment for trainees and taking into account people's [...]
MPs treated to second pay rise in less than a year, bringing starting salary to almost £75,000 February 26, 2016 Just nine months after awarding themselves a 10 per cent pay rise, MPs have voted to increase their salaries by another 1.3 per cent. The latest raise brings the starting salary for MPs to £74,962, almost three times the average UK wage of £27,600. The 1.3 per cent increase breaks the one per cent cap on public [...]
West London is nearly five times wealthier than anywhere else in UK – beating the Brussels elite to the top-spot in European wealth stats February 26, 2016 The champagne will be flowing on King’s Road tonight, after new figures showed that West Londoners generate nearly five times more GDP than anywhere else in the UK – and is the richest area in Europe. Data released today by the EU’s statistical office, Eurostat, shows economic activity across 276 EU regions in 2014, as measured by GDP per [...]
Don’t read this, Jamie Oliver: Government axes plans for sugar tax and delays obesity strategy February 26, 2016 David Cameron can expect an angry phone call from Jamie Oliver tonight, after it was revealed that the government is unlikely to introduce a tax on sugary drinks. The Department of Health has announced that the tax is unlikely to go ahead as part of the forthcoming childhood obesity strategy, which has just been delayed for a [...]
Barristers warned not to store confidential information in the cloud as US authorities can access it, putting UK legal privilege at risk February 26, 2016 Barristers are being urged to think twice about where they store their data, as the Bar Council has warned that information in cloud storage could be accessed without their permission. In a note to Bar Council members last night, the Bar Council IT panel advised that certain pieces of US legislation had the potential to allow [...]