Gloomy outlook: Royal Parks charity bans ‘Optimism Picnic’ in Hyde Park London The Royal Parks charity has insisted an ‘Optimism Picnic’ planned by the co-founder of the economic campaign group Looking For Growth cannot go ahead in Hyde Park. Now, the outlook for this picnic looks more pessimistic, on what is already set to be an overcast afternoon following a morning of intermittent heavy rain. The slapdown [...]
The UN treaty that’s been incentivising Britain’s blockers since 1998 Opinion Leaving the Aarhus Convention would make it easier to build homes, roads, reservoirs, railways and companies, writes Tom Willerton-Gartside.
To rebuild Britain we should start with Hammersmith Bridge Opinion Handsome, historic but functionally broken, Hammersmith Bridge has come to symbolise Britain's problems, writes Felix Pivcevic.
TfL to spend £100m a year on cleaning tubes amid graffiti spat January 13, 2026 Commuters will foot an annual £100m bill for cleaning tubes and buses over the next five years, City AM can reveal, with transport officials hoping a new provider will help to wipe out graffiti across the network. Transport for London (TfL), which is chaired by Mayor Sadiq Khan, revealed it signed a contract with the [...]
Britain can’t grow while we’re spending £700m to save the life of a fish November 26, 2025 With measly growth and energy among the most expensive in the developed world, Britain's got bigger fish to fry than sealife conservation.
Labour to hold fire on ‘fish disco’ nuclear power reform due to ‘legal advice’ November 25, 2025 The Labour government is set to hold fire on pushing through sweeping reforms to nuclear energy due to a legal adviser’s concerns over the “UK’s environmental, trade and human rights obligations”, it has been reported. The Innovate UK member John Fingleton published a damning report on red tape blocking the expansion of the country’s nuclear [...]
What’s the point of living in Zone 2 anymore? October 28, 2025 A grand a month for Tube delays and no nightlife to speak of, what's even the point of living in Zone 2 nowadays, asks Matt Kenyon.
Looking for growth is a lot better than hoping for it October 28, 2025 Rachel Reeves and Keir Starmer like to say that economic growth is the defining mission of this government, but as the latest data shows it’s starting to resemble Mission Impossible. While the government deserves credit for addressing some of the deep-rooted issues that have held back growth for so long – whether though planning reform [...]
Looking for Growth? Look no further. October 27, 2025 The fury online is palpable, high-fliers feel undervalued, and ‘Britain is Broken’ has become the ridiculing punchline enjoyed by American crypto traders and digital nomads. Here though, at a mini arena in Greenwich on a Thursday night, Looking for Growth – LFG – is not a lost cause. Some attendees are unsure exactly what they [...]
New City of London ‘showpiece’ skyscraper approved September 30, 2025 A 34-storey skyscraper set to dominate the City skyline has been approved by Square Mile officials, in a major boost to the area’s high-grade office capacity and local economy. A proposal to redevelop a tower block at 130 Fenchurch Street into a “showpiece office building” was approved unanimously by the City of London Corporation’s planning [...]