TfL opposes making masks optional as Boris Johnson looks to forget them July 5, 2021 Londoners may have to wear masks on the tube after 19 July, when Boris Johnson is expected to have abandoned the pandemic-imposed rule. However, different rules for Transport for London (TfL) tubes and national rail trains may confuse travellers, if masks become a thing of the past by the end of July. A spokesperson for [...]
Will masks remain mandatory on Tube even if Boris Johnson ditches rules? July 5, 2021 All eyes will be on Sadiq Khan and Transport for London commissioner Andy Byford after Boris Johnson is expected to announce the end of compulsory face masks from 19 July. TfL holds the power to set “conditions of carriage” relating to face coverings on London transport, that could see masks mandated on the Tube even [...]
London property market enjoys strongest ever half-year, Chestertons says July 5, 2021 London’s property market has enjoyed its strongest ever half-year, according to Chestertons, who posted record sales in June. The estate agent’s latest market analysis found the highest monthly sales numbers in the company’s history were recorded last month, fuelled by buyers trying to beat the Stamp Duty deadline and wanting to move before price growth [...]
Top pay at US law firms climbs to over £150k for London’s new solicitors July 5, 2021 Legal practice for the elite has thrived in London despite the pandemic, as an increasing number of US law firms have upped their pay for new solicitors. Houston-based firm Vinson & Elkins last month confirmed its new starting pay of £153,400, up four per cent from the year prior. The Texan firm topped the ranks [...]
Six UK cases: Fast-spreading Lambda variant puzzles Covid scientists due to ‘unusual set of mutations’ July 4, 2021 A Covid-19 variant called Lambda has left Scientist from the World Health Organisation puzzled due to its ‘unusual set of mutations’. The Lambda strain, denoted as C.37, was first discovered in Peru and has spread to nearly 30 countries in the last four weeks, including Argentina and Chile, according to the Financial Times this weekend. [...]
Amazon says sorry after telling London fishmonger to drop ‘prime day’ promo July 4, 2021 Amazon has apologised after sending a legal notice to a fishmonger demanding his chain of stores stop advertising “prime day” boat fish. Robin Moxon, who owns four shops and a fish smokery in London, received an email from lawyers acting on behalf of the online retail giant asking for references to “prime day” boat fish [...]
Back to adland: What London’s creatives think about the return to the office July 3, 2021 With the final easing of lockdown restrictions on the horizon, attention is turning to the eventual return to the office and a new era of flexible working. Major banks such as JP Morgan, Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley have all begun bringing staff back into the office, while UBS has said it will embrace a [...]
TfL must be ‘realistic’ on mega-projects, says deputy mayor, as wait for long-term funding deal goes on July 3, 2021 Heidi Alexander has a lot on her plate. In normal times, overseeing London’s transport network as Sadiq Khan’s deputy mayor for the sector would be quite the job, what with keeping the capital’s commuters happy while delivering huge infrastructure projects like Crossrail. And that is before the pandemic left TfL operating on a shoestring budget, [...]
London IPOs record best start in seven years July 2, 2021 Floatations and fundraisings in the City recorded their best start in seven years, according to figures published today. Total equity raised in London topped £27bn in the first six months of this year, driven by strong investor appetite for high-profile listings such as software firm Darktrace. 49 IPOs raised over £9bn in the first six months [...]
OECD: Ireland snubs global tax deal July 2, 2021 Ireland refused to sign a major agreement to overhaul the global corporation tax regime on Thursday. 130 countries and jurisdictions agreed to the deal brokered by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, which paves the way for sweeping international changes. The new regime will see a global tax for 100 of the world’s largest [...]