Tube fare dodging rates spike by almost 30 per cent February 17, 2020 Instances of fare dodging have increased by almost 30 per cent since 2016, leading to £116m of lost revenue for Transport for London (TfL) in a single year. TfL statistics, released by City Hall, show the number of warnings, penalty notices and prosecutions for fare dodging rose from 87, 948 in 2016-17 to 112,266 in [...]
Bakerloo Tube strike this weekend means FIVE London Underground lines will be out of action February 17, 2020 London commuters are bracing for travel chaos over the weekend as nearly half of all Underground lines are set to be closed amidst a Tube strike. Bakerloo line drivers from the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT) are expected to walk off the job on Friday for a three-day strike over a [...]
Sadiq Khan launches £50m ‘green new deal’ fund in pitch to Green Party voters February 17, 2020 Sadiq Khan has created a £50m fund for green energy projects in a direct appeal to Green Party voters in the lead up to the mayoral election. The mayor of London today announced the fund as a part of his “green new deal for London”, with the funds set to be allocated to programmes to [...]
Question marks surround Boris Johnson’s first budget February 16, 2020 The timing and content of the forthcoming budget was thrown into doubt this weekend, with the government refusing to confirm either the date of the announcement or that the current spending limits would remain in place. Boris Johnson is considering scrapping fiscal spending rules written just months ago as Number 10’s plans to take greater [...]
Sir Keir Starmer says Labour Brexit position was ‘right policy’ February 16, 2020 Labour leadership frontrunner Sir Keir Starmer has labelled the party’s Brexit position “the right policy”, despite losing many seats in Leave-voting areas. Labour suffered its worst election result in December since 1935, winning just 207 seats and conceding an 80-seat majority to the Conservatives. The party lost a swathe of seats in its northern heartlands, [...]
Rory Stewart wants to set up City of London embassies across EU February 16, 2020 City of London embassies will be set up across EU capital if Rory Stewart is elected mayor of London. The ex-international development secretary is running as an independent mayoral candidate in the May election, after having the Conservative whip removed last year over his opposition to a no-deal Brexit. Stewart believes as mayor of London [...]
Boris Johnson considers tearing up Sajid Javid’s fiscal rules February 16, 2020 Boris Johnson is considering scrapping the fiscal rules written by the Treasury just months ago in a bid to increase spending in next month’s budget. Ex-chancellor Sajid Javid wrote the rules into the Tories’ 2019 election manifesto in an attempt to exercise fiscal restraint amidst a swathe of spending pledges. The primary rules were promises [...]
Rail franchising model ‘set to be scrapped’ in coming weeks February 16, 2020 Boris Johnson is set to dramatically overhaul the nation’s rail network by scrapping the rail franchise model and capping profits by private providers. Former British Airways boss Keith Williams was drafted to conduct a review of Britain’s railways last year, with the report set to be released in the coming weeks. It’s now expected that [...]
March budget may be delayed, says transport secretary Grant Shapps February 16, 2020 The government is likely to delay next month’s budget in the wake of Sajid Javid’s resignation, according to the transport secretary. Richmond (Yorkshire) MP Rishi Sunak was promoted to chancellor in Thursday’s cabinet reshuffle, after Javid refused to sack all of his special advisers as demanded by Boris Johnson. Sunak will now handle the country’s [...]
Exclusive: Sadiq Khan challenges Labour leadership candidates to sign London pledge February 16, 2020 Sadiq Khan has issued a challenge for all Labour leadership candidates to sign up to six pledges for London, including a promise to rid the party of antisemitism. The mayor of London has asked the three remaining candidates – Keir Starmer, Rebecca Long-Bailey and Lisa Nandy – to pledge to “stamp out antisemitism” within the [...]