‘Unhappy’ deputy mayors look for Westminster move October 23, 2019 Two deputy mayors of London are seeking a move to parliament amidst claims the pair are unhappy with how Sadiq Khan runs City Hall. Deputy mayor for business Rajesh Agrawal and deputy mayor for housing James Murray have both been shortlisted to represent Labour in Ealing North at the next general election. Read more: Fintech boss [...]
Back to the future: London unveils first fully electric taxi since… 1897 October 23, 2019 A completely electric taxi hit London’s roads today, although the first fully electric vehicle came to the capital more than 100 years ago. The zero emissions Dynamo Taxi, made from a converted Nissan e-NV200 Evalia MPV, was unveiled as a part of the International Clean Air Conference at City Hall. Read more: Electric taxi cab [...]
Exclusive: Flexible office space firm Central Working falls into administration October 23, 2019 London-based flexible office space group Central Working has collapsed into administration. The co-working business, which hosts 1,850 companies across 11 sites in the UK, has appointed administrators from independent advisory firm Quantuma. Read more: Softbank seizes control of Wework in deal making Adam Neumann a billionaire A letter to tenants seen by City A.M. said [...]
Extinction Rebellion protests cost Met Police £37m October 22, 2019 Protests carried out by Extinction Rebellion activists have cost the Metropolitan Police at least £37m and caused other investigations to be halted. Commissioner Cressida Dick today said that the recent two-week demonstrations had cost £21m, with this figure expected to rise by a further several million. Read more: Extinction Rebellion patron buys stake in Heathrow [...]
Ulez charge drastically cuts London’s air pollution October 22, 2019 London’s pollution charges have significantly decreased levels of toxic gas emitted by vehicles, according to new figures. Mayor of London Sadiq Khan first introduced the Toxicity Charge in October 2017, which forced drivers of older diesel and petrol cars to pay £10 a day to drive in parts of London. Read more: Ulez should include [...]
Crossrail at risk of facing further delays October 22, 2019 Crossrail is increasingly likely to face further cost blowouts and delays, according to a new report. The £15.9bn underground rail line was due to open in December 2018, but now has a target date of between October 2020 and March 2021. Read more: Crossrail to renegotiate pay with Bechtel However, a new report from Jacobs [...]
Stop taking Britain’s glittering fintech status for granted October 22, 2019 The preaviling narrative in the UK is that the Europeans were deeply disappointed by the 2016 Brexit referendum result, and have been imploring Britain to think again. And, indeed, some have. But, just like British Leave voters in 2016, many Europeans regard Brexit as a unique opportunity for their own countries. Over recent months, I [...]
Mercato Metropolitano’s founder is a man on a mission October 21, 2019 The words Elephant & Castle and trendy food market don’t normally go together. It’s an area that’s unfortunately more associated with crime and poverty than gourmet dining. But since 2016, a patch of unassuming land around the corner from the Ministry of Sound has played home to Mercato Metropolitano. This upscale hotspot has around 50 vendors [...]
Recover that Olympic spirit to give London back its mojo October 21, 2019 “Inspire a generation.” That was the slogan for the London 2012 Olympic Games, and a memory of a moment when the capital and the country felt confident about the future. Cast your mind back and recall the triumphs of elite athletes, the city at ease with itself, and the country bursting with the pride of [...]
The City’s success depends on our ability not only to compete, but to collaborate October 21, 2019 Just last week, German Chancellor Angela Merkel remarked that the UK will join the likes of China and the US in becoming an “economic competitor” of the European Union after Brexit. There is, of course, no doubt about the competitiveness of the UK’s financial services sector, nor about the fundamental strengths of London. But looking [...]