Covid-19 lockdown: Government tells public to ‘act like you have the virus’ January 9, 2021 The government has instructed the public to act like they have got the coronavirus and adhere to Covid-19 lockdown rules amid fears that the NHS is struggling to cope with the influx of new cases. A new advertising campaign has been launched reinforcing the “stay at home” message, in a bid to stem the transmission [...]
Sadiq Khan to boost share of London council tax by nearly 10 per cent January 8, 2021 Sadiq Khan today announced that his share of council tax will increase by nearly 10 per cent from April in order to keep funding public transport services. Under the proposals, the average bill for Band D will increase by £2.63 a month – £31.59 over the whole year. Of the increase, £15 will go towards [...]
Music Feeds festival to fight food poverty following £1m Co-op donation January 8, 2021 Co-op has organised a digital music festival in a bid to “turn up the volume” on the fight against food poverty, also donating £1m to charities. The two-day festival Music Feeds, co-organised by CEverybody Belongs Here, will see a third of net profits being donated to FareShare, helping provide 2.5m meals to those in need. [...]
‘Major incident’ declared as London hospitals on verge of being overwhelmed January 8, 2021 The mayor of London has declared a “major incident” as London hospitals are on the brink of being overwhelmed with coronavirus patients. “The situation in London is now critical with the spread of the virus out of control,” Sadiq Khan said in a statement. “The number of cases in London has increased rapidly with more [...]
Hackers leak Hackney Council data after attack January 7, 2021 The cyber group that launched a ransomware attack on Hackney Council last year has posted what it claims to be documents from the council. Last October the council said it had been hit by a “serious cyber-attack” affecting its IT systems. Today Hackney said it appears the vast majority of the sensitive or personal information [...]
Exclusive: ‘We must be brave and move away from the EU’s way of thinking’, says Tech Nation chair January 7, 2021 After what was a difficult year for tech firms, City A.M. sat down with Stephen Kelly, chairman of Tech Nation, the industry body that represents UK startups and runs Britain’s Tech Nation visa scheme for foreign entrepreneurs. Brexit has just taken place, how will this impact London’s startup space? Brexit is the UK’s opportunity to [...]
Close to 4,000 UK financial firms ‘at risk of collapse’ after first Covid-19 lockdown January 7, 2021 The UK’s first Covid-19 lockdown threatened the viability of around 4,000 financial firms, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) said this morning. The financial watchdog surveyed 23,000 smaller financial firms to greater understand the financial impacts of Covid-19 and found that 59 per cent of firms expected blows to their profits due to the pandemic. Others’ [...]
New concept designs for Smithfield East & West Market buildings and Rotunda unveiled January 7, 2021 | City Talk The City of London Corporation has revealed the first images of new concept designs for turning these special buildings into a new food and cultural destination for all Londoners. The new images, which have been put together by architects Studio Egret West, show how the buildings could be used in the future – helping to [...]
City Corporation responds to England moving to national lockdown: stay at home January 7, 2021 | City Talk The government has announced that England will face tighter COVID restrictions to manage outbreaks of COVID-19 and suppress the virus. Full details on the announcement are available here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/national-lockdown-stay-at-home Responding to the news, City of London Corporation Policy Chair Catherine McGuinness said: “The country is facing a very serious and difficult situation. These new measures will be a bitter [...]
City of London Corporation teams up with Amazon to cut delivery vehicles and improve air quality January 7, 2021 | City Talk The City of London Corporation has approved its first Last Mile Logistics Hub to consolidate deliveries across central London, reduce traffic and cut harmful emissions. The Planning and Transportation Committee approved the initiative which will transform 39 car parking spaces within the underutilised London Wall Car Park into a hub for Amazon Logistics. The final leg of [...]