Brexiters raise £150,000 for Big Ben Brexit bongs – but it could all be for nothing January 17, 2020 Brexiters have funnelled over £150,000 into a fundraising campaign to ring Big Ben to mark Brexit Day on 31 January – but the cash could not be enough, the Prime Minister has warned. The “Big Ben must bong for Brexit” campaign, set up by Stand Up 4 Brexit, is seeking to raise the £500,000 required [...]
Sadiq Khan warns against Westminster ‘anti-London agenda’ January 17, 2020 Sadiq Khan urged Labour and the Conservatives to ditch their “anti-London agenda” in a speech to City grandees last night. The speech, at the City of London Corporation’s London government dinner, hit out at Boris Johnson’s plans for “re-balancing spending away from London and towards other parts of the country”. However, the Tories weren’t the [...]
DEBATE: Should Big Ben bong on 31 January to mark Britain’s exit from the EU? January 17, 2020 Should Big Ben bong on 31 January to mark Britain’s exit from the EU? Alex Deane, a Conservative commentator, says YES. Whether a bell rings at a certain time is a trivial thing. But it is symbolic, and symbols matter — to people, and to nations. Stymieing the ringing of a bell that rang two [...]
Crossrail 2 may already be facing delays, says Sadiq Khan January 16, 2020 Crossrail 2 may have been delayed before government approval has even been given, according to Sadiq Khan. The £41.3bn rail project – a new Tube line running from North to South London – is in limbo as it awaits for the Department for Transport (DfT) to deliberate on its business plan. Under the current funding [...]
City Hall’s 300 per cent rise in office spending under Sadiq Khan queried January 16, 2020 A threefold increase in City Hall office spending under Sadiq Khan has come under question, with one London Assembly member suggesting it could be “uncontrolled”. The assembly’s Budget Committee today released its first response to the mayor’s 2020-21 budget, which details £17bn of public expenditure. Read more: Sadiq Khan has increased press office spending by [...]
Nigel Farage’s Westminster Brexit bash granted planning approval January 15, 2020 Nigel Farage has been granted permission to throw a Brexit day party at Wesminster’s Parliament Square. The Brexit bash is set for 31 January to coincide with the date Britain leaves the EU, and is expected to cost £100,000 and attract 10,000 people. Read more: Planning uncertainty over Nigel Farage Brexit night party Farage tweeted [...]
Picardilly Circus: TfL renames Tube station to celebrate Star Trek launch January 15, 2020 When Star Trek fans talk about exploring strange new worlds, they probably don’t have Piccadilly Circus Tube station in mind. However, Trekkies can now enjoy a taste of the extraterrestrial thanks to a publicity stunt launched by Transport for London (TfL). Read more: Experts unsure about the effect of air pollution on the Tube For [...]
Northern Line misery as severe Tube delays and Bank branch issues hit commuters January 15, 2020 Northern Line commuters face a miserable journey to work today after a faulty train left the line running with severe Tube delays southbound and a limited Bank branch service. Southbound passengers changed at Camden Town this morning for Bank services before Transport for London (TfL) told them no Bank trains were running after the earlier [...]
Sadiq Khan and Google launch counter extremism fund January 14, 2020 Google and Sadiq Khan have teamed up to create a counter extremism fund in response to November’s London Bridge terror attack. The £800,000 fund, run in partnership with the Institute for Strategic Dialogue, will offer grants to local organisations to provide services and education to prevent extremism and radicalisation. Read more: Planning uncertainty between City [...]
Bakerloo line extension may be funded by landowner tax hike January 13, 2020 Transport for London (TfL) is considering funding the £3.1bn Bakerloo line extension with a tax on landowners. The proposed works would extend the line from Elephant and Castle to Lewisham via stations on Old Kent Road and New Cross Gate. Read more: Bakerloo line extension to Lewisham now open to public ocmment However, the project [...]