City of London grandees celebrate Conservative majority December 15, 2019 City heavyweights have lined up to express bullish excitement about the Square Mile’s prospects after the Conservatives’ landslide election win. Boris Johnson’s self-proclaimed “stonking” majority means the UKwill leave the EU by 31 January, which pundits say will provide desperately needed clarity for the financial sector. Read more: UK stocks surge after Conservative win ends [...]
Crossrail opens from Reading to Paddington December 15, 2019 Commuters will now be able to travel from Reading to Paddington in 58 minutes, after a limited section of Crossrail opened yesterday. The new line, under the banner of TfL Rail, marks the largest opening of any part of the Crossrail project, which was supposed to open in December 2018. Read more: TfL updates Tube [...]
Thames Water hires advisers on £12bn debt ahead of crucial Ofwat ruling December 14, 2019 Thames Water has hired restructuring experts from Gleacher Shacklock ahead of a crucial ruling from industry watchdog Ofwat. The UK’s biggest water supplier has called in the experts to advice on its £12bn pile of debt amid concern about the impact of a regulatory crackdown on its finances, according to Sky News. Read more: Thames [...]
Uber launches appeal over TfL London ban December 13, 2019 Uber has today submitted an appeal against Transport for London’s (TfL) decision to ban the ride-hailing app from operating in the capital. TfL last month stripped Uber of its licence, stating that a “pattern of failures” left passengers at risk. Read more: Uber says it received 6,000 reports of sexual assault over two-year period The [...]
London election results: Who won where in the capital? December 13, 2019 Boris Johnson has led the Conservative party to a thumping majority in the General Election, stealing scores of seats in traditional Labour heartlands. But if Jeremy Corbyn was hoping to offset these losses in London, he was left disappointed – as there was little change in the capital’s 73 constituencies. Overall, London remained predominantly red, [...]
Conservative election victory sparks sharp recovery in housebuilder stocks December 13, 2019 The uncertainty surrounding Brexit and the country’s future has long been blamed as a source of the property market’s recent struggles. However a sizeable Conservative majority in the general election has already resulted in a sharp rise in housebuilder stocks. FTSE 100 firm Taylor Wimpey’s share price rose by 11.4 per cent in early morning [...]
The green belt cannot remain sacred if we are to solve London’s housing crisis December 13, 2019 With the General Election over and the nation reflecting on the result, the focus on politics in the capital is far from over, as 2020 sees Londoners turn their attention to the race to be the next mayor. Among many key issues for discussion ahead of May’s election will be housing shortages, particularly the thorny [...]
London City Airport cops flak for RAF base flights December 12, 2019 A commercial airport service run partly by London City Airport out of an RAF base is attracting complaints from local residents. VIP London Airport runs out of RAF Northolt in Ruislip, west London, offering “discreet and secure departure and entry into the UK”. Read more: Extinction Rebellion disrupt London City Airport flights The MoD allows [...]
MSG Sphere: Public consultations to begin on UK’s new largest concert venue December 12, 2019 The first public consultation for what will be the UK’s largest music venue is set to go ahead next week. Described by some as looking like a spaceship, the Madison Square Garden Sphere will be 90 metres high and have the appearance of a large black orb. Read more: Controversial Silvertown Tunnel gets the go-ahead [...]
Rail fail: South Western services still hampered despite temporary election halt to RMT strike December 12, 2019 Commuters were left angry this morning as South Western Railway services remained on partial timetables, despite rail strikes being temporarily called off for election day. The 27-day rail strike called by the Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT) Union has caused chaos for the first 11 days of December, but industrial action was due to [...]