Sadiq Khan’s London ULEZ expansion faces court challenge from Tory councils April 12, 2023 A judicial review into the expansion of the ultra low emission zone (ULEZ) across Greater London has been granted after a court ruling, it has emerged. London mayor Sadiq Khan opted to push ahead with plans to roll out the zone across all of outer London, from August 29, last year in the face of [...]
Drink driving, drugs, sex offences: One in 200 Met Police officers have criminal records April 6, 2023 More than 150 Met Police officers have criminal records, for crimes including drink driving, drug possession and sexual offences, the force has admitted. Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley revealed 161 serving officers have been convicted of crimes – including 76 for serious traffic offences including drink driving and careless driving. Another 49 have convictions for dishonest [...]
Superloop or ‘Superflop’? Khan unveils £6m bus network connecting outer London ahead of ULEZ expansion March 28, 2023 Sadiq Khan has unveiled plans for a new “Superloop” orbital bus network linking services around outer London. Express bus routes on the network will have limited stops, faster journey times and connect outer London, City Hall says. The mayor of London is funding £6m towards the scheme, but TfL says it will cost much more. [...]
City Hall bans TikTok app despite Sadiq Khan’s 47,000 followers March 26, 2023 TikTok has been banned on London City Hall devices amid ongoing security concerns. Staff will no longer be allowed to have the video sharing app on their official devices as part of the latest ban to hit the Chinese-owned firm over data privacy fears. Greater London Authority (GLA) officials said the rule was implemented as [...]
ULEZ row: Khan reassures 90 per cent are unaffected by expansion, as 700K face new charge and ‘massive financial impact’ March 24, 2023 Nearly 700,000 car drivers in London will face a daily £12.50 ultra low emission zone (Ulez) fee when the scheme expands, according to new analysis. The RAC, which carried out the research, said the expansion of the zone from August 29 will have a “massive financial impact on motorists and businesses”. It comes a day [...]
TfL budget to cover costs but Londoners still set for fares hikes March 23, 2023 Transport for London (TfL) has said its latest budget will allow it to cover its operating costs, as fare rises continue to hit Londoners’ pockets with a four per cent rise set for next year. London’s transport network will achieve an overall operating surplus of £79m, its 2023/24 financial statement revealed, which it wants to [...]
Bacon in Muslim officer’s shoes and rape kits in fridges: Five shocking takeaways about the Met from the Casey Review March 21, 2023 London’s Met Police force has been found to be “institutionally racist, misogynistic and homophobic” by a blistering landmark review. Crossbench peer Baroness Louise Casey was commissioned to look into culture and standards at the Met after the murder of Sarah Everard by serving cop Wayne Couzens. Her review – which has been branded “damning” by [...]
Sadiq Khan: Climate deniers will be ’emboldened’ if ULEZ expansion fails March 20, 2023 London’s ultra-low emissions zone (ULEZ) expansion is now a “key frontier” in the global fight against climate change, Sadiq Khan has said. The mayor of London has called on the environmental lobby to come out more strongly in favour of the controversial policy, saying climate change deniers will be “emboldened” if it fails. Speaking at [...]
Met Police short of 1,000 officers as force admits it faces an uphill battle to recruit quality candidates March 8, 2023 The Met Police is set to be short of more than 1,000 officers this year, the force has said, amid an ongoing crisis in public trust and confidence. Officer numbers will be down by around 1,060 less than the target strength of 34,490, the Met Police has told City Hall. It comes as new commissioner [...]
Almost all London councils set to raise taxes as funding situation becomes ‘unsustainable’ March 7, 2023 More than half of local councils in England are set to make cuts to services while raising council tax by the highest possible amount amid an “unsustainable” funding system. A fifth of London councils say budget cuts will be evident to the public and almost 95 per cent will raise residents’ council tax bills, the [...]