London mayor Sadiq Khan’s approval rating goes negative for first time since election May 2, 2019 London mayor Sadiq Khan’s popularity has dropped into negative figures for the first time. Data from a You Gov poll for December showed Khan had a net approval rating of minus one. The poll of 1,000 people, commissioned by City Hall, showed 32 per cent said they were satisfied and 33 per cent dissatisfied. Read [...]
It’s time to stop arguing about expanding Heathrow – and get building May 2, 2019 Thankfully for the UK economy, the High Court yesterday quashed a challenge brought against the government’s decision to expand Heathrow Airport. No one questions the need for scrutiny. Indeed, detailed consideration for how to manage the impact of the expansion on local people – which for some will be significant – lies ahead through the [...]
Crossrail’s 2021 delay to cost TfL an extra £1bn in lost revenue, says Moody’s May 1, 2019 The delay to Crossrail until 2021 will cost Transport for London (TfL) £1bn in lost revenue, according to influential rating agency Moody's. The £1bn figure is between £300m-£400m more than TfL had forecasted in its 2018 business plan, published after the announcement in the summer that the £17.6bn railway would not open that December as planned. Read [...]
A pro-business mayor? Khan is less so than Livingstone April 29, 2019 Before he was elected, Sadiq Khan promised – in this newspaper and elsewhere – to be the “most pro-business mayor yet”. In a literal sense, that pledge was already a bit limited, because Khan has only had two predecessors: Ken Livingstone and Boris Johnson. The first one was an apologist for assorted Communist regimes. In [...]
Crossrail sets opening date between October 2020 and March 2021 April 25, 2019 Crossrail will open to passengers between October 2020 and March 2021, about two years later than originally planned, its board revealed today. Read more: TfL boss Mike Brown says he will not stand down over Crossrail criticism The central section of Crossrail – which will be known as the Elizabeth line – will open between Paddington and Abbey [...]
TfL boss Mike Brown says he will not stand down following calls to quit over Crossrail April 25, 2019 TfL boss Mike Brown has said he will not resign following criticism he "downplayed" the risks to the Crossrail opening date to London mayor Sadiq Khan. Appearing before the London Assembly's transport committee this morning, the TfL commissioner rejected suggestions he should resign. "No, I'm not reflecting on whether I'm fit to be in position," he said. [...]
DEBATE: Is Sadiq Khan ultimately responsible for the ongoing delays to Crossrail? April 24, 2019 Is Sadiq Khan ultimately responsible for the ongoing delays to Crossrail Keith Prince, GLA Conservatives’ transport spokesman, says YES. Londoners are all too familiar with this mayor’s penchant for passing the buck and blaming others for his mistakes. But when it comes to the Crossrail project, Sadiq Khan’s attempt to dodge accountability simply won’t wash. [...]
TfL chief faces calls to resign for ‘downplaying’ Crossrail pressures April 23, 2019 Transport for London (TfL) chief Mike Brown is facing calls to resign over allegations he downplayed the pressures facing Crossrail as it became clear the project would struggle to open on time. Email extracts cited in the London Assembly’s second report into Crossrail, which is jointly sponsored by TfL and the Department for Transport, show Brown, [...]
HS2 ‘ignored concerns’ about winning bidder for £1.3bn Old Oak Common contract April 21, 2019 HS2 ignored warnings about a contractor’s ability to build a key station before awarding it the £1.3bn tender, according to a High Court claim. HS2 acknowledged a joint venture between Balfour Beatty and Vinci was “severely under-resourced [and] a real risk to the safe and timely completion and handover” of the crucial Old Oak Common station [...]
Crossrail ‘could be delayed until spring 2021’ April 18, 2019 Crossrail could be delayed until as long as 2021 after incurring some difficulty with the dynamic testing of trains and signalling, according to a BBC source. The Elizabeth Line, which will run between Reading and Shenfield Essex underneath central London, had been due to open in December 2018. Read more: MPs warn Crossrail may not [...]