London Bridge attack: Jack Merritt’s father hits out at Boris Johnson for using son’s death to ‘score political points’ December 10, 2019 The father of Jack Merritt, who was killed in the London Bridge attack in November, has accused Boris Johnson of exploiting his son’s death for political gain. In his first television interview since the attack on 28 November, David Merritt told Sky News that instead of “a tragedy, Boris Johnson saw an opportunity.” Read more: [...]
Sadiq Khan appoints new London fire commissioner December 10, 2019 London has a new fire commissioner, after Dany Cotton was forced to step down last week in the face of criticism for her role in the Grenfell fire. Her deputy Andy Roe will step up to the top job and lead “transformational change”, according to mayor of London Sadiq Khan. Read more: London fire commissioner [...]
London 5G rollout ‘at risk’ as boroughs lack strategy and funding December 10, 2019 The rollout of next-generation 5G networks in London could be under threat due to a lack of preparation by local authorities, a new report has warned. While major mobile networks have launched 5G in the capital and other major UK cities, London boroughs remained “far from ready” to support the new technology, it warned. Read [...]
Exclusive: City of London mulls over historic Lord Mayor selection reform December 9, 2019 The City of London Corporation’s highest body is considering changes to the way it selects the Lord Mayor as part of its efforts to attract a more diverse range of candidates. Guildhall’s ancient Court of Aldermen is comprised of 25 elected members – one from each of the Square Mile’s different wards. It sits alongside the City [...]
Too much regulation on bitcoin and cryptocurrency could scare away future tech innovators December 9, 2019 Back in October, the FCA closed its consultation on banning the sale of cryptocurrency derivatives to retail investors. A consultation that I hope will start a collaborative discussion, bringing crypto and its regulatory framework up to speed with the rapid growth of the industry. Thankfully, the FCA’s approach so far has been inclusive and forward-thinking. [...]
London’s fintechs are magnets for venture capital investment December 9, 2019 The outcome of Thursday’s election will be of significant interest to our partners on the other side of the Atlantic. I am confident, however, that both our US and Mexican partners will recognise the huge, long-term opportunities for closer collaboration as technology opens up a new chapter in our trading relationship. The rapidly increasing digitisation [...]
Tate Modern balcony push: Teenager pleads guilty to attempted murder December 6, 2019 A teenager has pleaded guilty to attempted murder after a six-year-old child was thrown from a 10th-floor balcony of the Tate Modern. Jonty Bravery, aged 18, based in Ealing, west London, has been accused of deliberately lifting the boy and throwing him over the balcony. The boy, a French national on holiday with his family, [...]
Lloyd’s of London reminds staff of ‘standard of behaviour expected’ ahead of Christmas parties December 6, 2019 Lloyd’s of London has warned its workers to behave appropriately at upcoming Christmas parties. It comes following allegations of bullying and sexual harassment at the world’s biggest insurance market. Chief executive John Neal told Financial News that an email had been sent to the around 45,000 staff at Lloyd’s and its member companies to remind [...]
Uber says it received 6,000 reports of sexual assault over two-year period in United States December 6, 2019 Uber has revealed it received almost 6,000 reports of sexual assault in the United States in 2017 and 2018. It said that although there had been more cases in 2018, the incidence had dropped by 16 per cent due to there being more trips undertaken. The ride-hailing firm has come under increased scrutiny of late [...]
Uber pushes back against Khan criticisms December 5, 2019 Sadiq Khan has lashed out at Uber by criticising the firm’s response to its London ban, while also shaming the app for allowing a driver to operate after it was found he possessed “obscene photos of a child”. Transport for London (TfL) refused to renew Uber’s licence last month due to a “pattern of failures” [...]