Illegal brothels uncovered in central London neighbourhoods September 17, 2020 Dozens of illegal brothels are operating in some of London’s most exclusive postcodes, a new investigation by ITV News has uncovered. From Kensington to Mayfair, a number of Albanian gangs are running a network of brothels across the capital. During the undercover operation, footage shows reporters being approached in the street and taken to one [...]
National Theatre to stage panto as it plots October reopening September 17, 2020 The National Theatre today said it will reopen its doors for live performances next month with a season of new shows that includes a Christmas pantomime. The iconic venue said it will remodel its Olivier theatre to stage a series of performances in-the-round, enabling audiences of almost 500 to attend while observing social distancing. The [...]
No London coronavirus restrictions planned, says Downing Street September 17, 2020 Downing Street has said it is not planning any new London-specific coronavirus restrictions, despite speculation to the contrary. The Prime Minister’s spokesman said today that “no restrictions are currently planned” for London, but that “we will always keep it under review”. Health secretary Matt Hancock imposed fresh restrictions in a string of areas in the [...]
Debate: Should Sadiq Khan be allowed to freeze London rents for the next two years? September 17, 2020 Mayor of London Sadiq Khan yesterday said that rents should be frozen in London to prevent a predicted wave of evictions caused by Covid-19. He called for new powers to prevent any rent increases for two years in the capital, warning that half a million people could face eviction because of arrears built up during [...]
London First taps former Today programme editor to join board September 16, 2020 London First today said it has tapped former Today programme editor Sarah Sands to join its board as an adviser. The business campaign group said Sands will take up her role with immediate effect and will help guide the organisation through a challenging period for the capital in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak. In [...]
‘Sclerotic’ City of London Corporation needs reform, says new report September 15, 2020 The City of London Corporation is “complex and sclerotic” while the public view it as a “secretive boys’ club”, according to a long-awaited independent report into the governance of the powerful local authority. Robert Rogers, now Lord Lisvane and a former Clerk of the House of Commons, said in his report that the “slowness of [...]
Tory mayoral candidate Bailey hits out at Khan over TfL delays September 15, 2020 Conservative mayoral candidate Shaun Bailey has accused London mayor Sadiq Khan of “failing to deliver reliable transport” in the capital, as public transport delays across the latter’s tenure continued to rise. Khan, who is also responsible for monitoring Transport for London’s (TfL) performance in his role as mayor, launched an independent review of body’s future [...]
Exclusive: No scrutiny of disgraced Liberal Democrat candidate due to ‘wealthy connections’ September 14, 2020 A disgraced former Liberal Democrat London mayor candidate was allegedly parachuted into the contest without extensive vetting in the hope she could potentially bring in vast amounts of donations and exclusive voter data to the party, City A.M. can reveal. Sangeeta Siddhu-Robb, a millionaire businesswoman, was yesterday forced to drop out of the race to be the [...]
Supporting London businesses with new Covid compliant scheme September 14, 2020 Without a doubt, food and retail premises in central London have suffered hugely during the Covid-19 pandemic. Understandably, customer facing businesses like these have been slower to reopen because of reduced footfall and consumer concerns over coronavirus transmission. But with positive and supportive initiatives, like the government’s Eat Out to Help Out scheme, the capital [...]
Tory mayoral candidate Shaun Bailey closes gap to Sadiq Khan September 13, 2020 Tory mayoral candidate Shaun Bailey is just seven points behind mayor of London Sadiq Khan in shock internal Conservative party polling. The private polling reportedly shows Khan is leading Bailey by 42 per cent to 35 per cent on first preference voting, according to the Sunday Telegraph. The internal Tory polling has Khan winning on [...]