London is being hollowed out of clever 20-year-olds refusing rent hikes February 16, 2023 Young, talented people are leaving London in flocks because they can't afford the record spike in rents. It risks making the capital a place for the super wealthy only, writes Elena Siniscalco
Explainer-in-brief: UFOs or Chinese spy balloons? February 14, 2023 Are the mysterious objects flying over North America a sign of alien life?
Post-Grenfell, second staircase for London buildings taller than 30 metres now mandatory, says Sadiq Khan February 13, 2023 All new London buildings taller than 30 metres will be required to have a second staircase, Mayor Sadiq Khan has announced. All planning applications will need to adhere to the building safety measure, which comes into force with immediate effect, before going to the GLA for sign off. The requirement for a second staircase in [...]
Explainer: Sunak’s plan to grow the workforce February 13, 2023 With Parliament in recess this week, Rishi Sunak gained some time to go back to his desk and think about his priorities – much needed with a budget coming up in a month. Among those, one leading target in his mind is to get more people back into work to drive economic growth. The UK [...]
The therapy industry on TikTok and Instagram is trapped in a moral maze February 7, 2023 Would you find your therapist on TikTok? Brits are increasingly turning to social media for help for their mental health, but the space is completely unregulated, writes Elena Siniscalco
Explainer: British Gas and other energy firms under the spotlight for prepayment meters February 3, 2023 This measure is considered a “last resort”, but it was found to be used routinely. Arvato, the contractor used by British Gas, incentivised its debt collectors to force-fit the meters through bonuses. Energy companies apply to magistrates’ courts to get the warrants they need to force entry into homes. The number of these warrants rose [...]
Explainer: A year of levelling up, in Gove’s style February 2, 2023 I know it’s hard to believe, but it has been a whole year since we were privileged enough to read Michael Gove’s magnum opus on “levelling up”, complete with his adoration of Renaissance Florence. You might think the anniversary of the White Paper is uninteresting to few people outside some policy nerds and civil servants, [...]
Tate Modern privacy ruling could see City restaurants and museums hit with more nuisance claims, lawyers warn February 1, 2023 City restaurants, museums and art galleries could be hit with more nuisance claims, lawyers have warned, after the Supreme Court ruled today that the Tate Museum’s viewing terrace intruded on the privacy of residents in a glass building right next to the gallery. Five residents of the Neo Bankside development on the South Bank took [...]
Explainer: Among rail and school strikes, how supportive is the public? February 1, 2023 Today is both the first day of a new month and the first day of a new string of cumulative strikes that will go on for much of February. Rail workers, teachers, airport and university staff and the civil service are on the picket line today. It’s been months since industrial action started its resurrection [...]
Lord Frost: Northern Ireland Protocol negotiated with the EU puts safety of Good Friday Agreement at risk February 1, 2023 The European Union is putting the safety of the Good Friday deal at risk by refusing to change their position on the Northern Ireland Protocol, Lord Frost, Boris Johnson’s Brexit negotiator has said. Lord Frost accused “poisonous politics” in late 2020 and 2021 of undermining the original Protocol, which he himself helped negotiate. In the [...]
