Brexit could topple London’s crown as top global tourist destination, warns Labour’s Fiona Twycross May 26, 2016 Leaving the European Union could result in London losing its crown as the world's top tourist destination. The capital, which was named by MasterCard Global Destinations Cities Index as the world's top tourist destination in 2015 and in five of the last seven years, could be dealt a "devastating" blow to its tourist economy if [...]
EU referendum: Business titans clash over the value of the single market to British industry May 26, 2016 Business figures have clashed over the value of the single market to British industry, at a crunch EU referendum debate hosted by Ladbrokes at the Institute of Directors. The former head of the British Chambers of Commerce and the president of the Confederation of British Industry crossed swords at the event last night. The panel also included [...]
David Cameron’s former adviser Steve Hilton says we need to rip up the banking system to promote competition May 25, 2016 David Cameron's former adviser Steve Hilton has branded the banking sector a "stitched-up, corrupt cartel" that needs to be completely overhauled. In an interview with City A.M.'s Bespoke magazine, Hilton, who this week declared his support for Vote Leave, labelled the industry chronically uncompetitive, and said that new regulations, such as America’s Dodd-Frank reforms, are making the [...]
HSBC to appoint new boardroom pay chief as current chair Sam Laidlaw set to quit May 25, 2016 HSBC is set to appoint a new boss for its boardroom pay committee as current chair Sam Laidlaw is set to step down from the bank's board as early as next year. Laidlaw, the former boss of Centrica, took over as chair of the bank's remuneration committee from former Rolls Royce chairman Sir Simon Robertson last [...]
We flush out the myths about London’s sewers May 25, 2016 As part of Thames Water's Sewer Week 2016 (yep, that's a thing), the utilities major invited the media to visit the Abbey Mills pumping station, based near West Ham and Stratford, and also offered intrepid journalists the opportunity to go down a real-life Victorian sewer at Wick Lane. London's sewage network is experiencing a major upgrade, with [...]
This is what Blackfriars will look like in 2022 after it gets a Thames Tideway Tunnel upgrade May 25, 2016 Almost all of the work on the Thames Tideway Tunnel super-sewer will take place beneath our feet and, for most of us, will go unnoticed. Not so with Blackfriars. On the northern bank of the Thames, Blackfriars Bridge will be gaining a new foreshore under the Tideway project, with a sizeable foreshore to its west and [...]
George Osborne rated as a natural leader by just two per cent of the British public, according to survey May 25, 2016 Just two per cent of Britons believe that chancellor George Osborne is a natural leader, and just over one in 10 believe he would be up to succeeding David Cameron as Prime Minister. The public slammed Osborne in a survey by YouGov for the Times, which revealed the chancellor's ratings contrast poorly with that of former London mayor Boris Johnson. [...]
Revealed: The sums behind Khan’s backing of the Garden Bridge May 25, 2016 London Mayor Sadiq Khan has claimed that cancelling a controversial Garden Bridge across the Thames would cost more than completing the project. Speaking at Mayor's Question Time for the first time since his election, Khan said that almost £40m of public funds have already been spent by the Garden Bridge Trust. Of a total of [...]
Toyota invests in Uber to launch ride-sharing partnership May 24, 2016 Car giant Toyota is set to invest in taxi app Uber to launch a ride-sharing venture. The Japanese carmaker will offer new buyers leasing options wherein they can lease their vehicles from Toyota Financial Services and cover their payments through earnings generated as Uber drivers. Terms of the partnership haven’t been revealed. However, Toyota said that [...]
We spoke too soon: Now maintenance and engineering workers are striking over Night Tube May 24, 2016 Thought a deal had finally been reached to launch Night Tube? Think again: the RMT union has confirmed that there's going to be a strike over the new 24-hour service – by maintenance and engineering workers. The much-maligned service was finally given a launch date of 19 August yesterday following months of delays while drivers' unions [...]