London Tech Week: Let’s call time on the capital’s tech ‘not spots’ September 10, 2020 Walking through east London this summer, the beating heart of the UK’s tech ecosystem had become a ghost city, with empty streets, co-working spaces and cafes. Like most industries, the Covid-19 pandemic has driven the sector behind closed doors. Yet, bubbling below the surface is a defiant community of tech entrepreneurs that will prove absolutely [...]
Thousands sign petition for ‘seat out to help out’ theatre discount scheme September 9, 2020 Thousands of people have signed a petition calling on the government to introduce a “seat out to help out” scheme to support the theatre industry. The petition proposes that for every seat sold for a live performance, the government could pay £10 for an empty seat. More than 44,000 people have lent support to the [...]
The creative sector is vital to London – we must save it before it is too late September 8, 2020 Save our arts. That is the rallying call. It is a worthy one. The UK’s creative sector is a dynamic part of the economy, but it has been among the areas hit hardest by the coronavirus crisis and looks likely to recover last. While areas like retail and housing are rebounding solidly, the arts are prevented [...]
Oil prices fall to lowest levels since July amid signs of stalling demand September 8, 2020 Global oil prices fell to their lowest levels since the start of July this morning amid fears that demand is stalling as coronavirus infections surge around the world. Worldwide standard Brent crude fell over two per cent to trade at $41.13, the lowest it has changed hands in two months. US benchmark West Texas Intermediate [...]
TfL commissioner Andy Byford: Getting the capital moving again September 8, 2020 Andy Byford, London’s transport commissioner, outlines what he has been doing to make TfL services ready for people to use them again. I started my career at London Underground in 1989, and through the last few decades I’ve worked for transport organisations all over the world – America, Australia, Canada. All different, but in each [...]
A three-step recovery plan for London’s West End September 4, 2020 Six months since the government first urged employees to work from home, they are now being asked to return. Given their track record of obedience, the government expected workers to be returning to the office in high numbers, but that is not what we have seen this week, with potentially disastrous and well-publicised consequences for [...]
London theatres call for ticket discount scheme to revive West End September 2, 2020 London’s theatres have backed calls for the government to fund a discount scheme similar to the Eat Out to Help Out offer to encourage audiences to return to the West End. The Centre for London, a think tank focused on the capital, has urged the government to introduce culture vouchers to bring visitors back to [...]
City workers slowly beginning to return to office after lockdown September 2, 2020 Commuters are slowly starting to return to London’s business districts after the coronavirus lockdowns, new data from Transport for London has shown. As of last Friday, 17,852 passengers entered and exited Bank tube station in the City, ten times more than the 1,800 who did so at the height of the pandemic. The figure is [...]
Virgin Atlantic £1.2bn rescue package gets court approval September 2, 2020 Virgin Atlantic’s £1.2bn bailout deal was approved in the High Court this morning, all but sealing the struggling carrier’s survival after months of turbulence caused by coronavirus. The bailout deal was given the backing of an overwhelming majority of Virgin’s creditors last week, with a court sanction needed for the deal to go ahead. Judge [...]
Coronavirus travel hacks: How to navigate London while avoiding the crowds August 26, 2020 Want to travel around London but coronavirus giving you second thoughts about getting on a packed tube train? London Travel Watch, the official watchdog for London transport users, has published a series of travel hacks designed to make getting around London easier while avoiding the crowds. London Travel Watch director, Emma Gibson said: “Many people [...]