Sadiq Khan has derailed Labour’s nationalisation plans December 11, 2025 How is Keir Starmer’s plan to renationalise Britain’s railways going? Badly, if events in London are anything to go by. Yesterday we learned that Transport for London has awarded a £3bn, 10-year contract to First Group to operate the London Overground when the current contract with Arriva expires next year. That’s in direct conflict with [...]
Labour rail pledge in doubt after £3bn private contract to run London Overground December 11, 2025 London Mayor Said Khan has caused a row within the Labour party after First Group was awarded a £3bn deal to operate the London Overground, a move which seemingly flies in the face of Labour’s manifesto commitment to bring railways back into public ownership. On Tuesday the London-listed transport group revealed that it would begin [...]
Shabana Mahmood should seize control of the Met police from failing Khan December 11, 2025 The Metropolitan Police’s inability to effectively fight crime is down to dysfunctional accountability system under the Mayor of London. The Home Secretary should step in to get the force back to fighting crime and keeping Londoners safe, says David Spencer “In London, the Met rules the streets”. That’s what I was told over 20 years [...]
Butlin’s back in profit after losing almost £75m December 4, 2025 Butlin’s has recovered from losing almost £75m to return to the black during its latest financial year, it has been revealed. The holiday resort chain has posted a pre-tax profit of £28.3m for 2024, according to new accounts filed with Companies House. That comes after Butlin’s fell to a pre-tax loss of £74.2m for 2023. [...]
Londoners don’t want Sadiq Khan to run for Mayor again December 3, 2025 The majority of Londoners do not want Sadiq Khan to run for Mayor again in 2028, new polling has shown, with 56 per cent saying London is going in the wrong direction. A City AM/Freshwater Strategy poll of London voters has shown that three in five of the capital’s residents believe that Khan should not [...]
Has Sadiq Khan laid the groundwork for Mayor Zack Polanski? December 3, 2025 According to a recent YouGov survey, just under 20 per cent of Brits think London is in a bad state and worse than the rest of the country. Only 14 per cent of actual Londoners share that view, while 22 per cent of voters in the North think it’s definitely the case. Just under 20 [...]
Zipcar UK to shut operations ahead of new London EV Congestion Charge December 1, 2025 Zipcar has reached the end of the road in the UK after its US owner pulled the plug on operations in the run up to the introduction of fresh London Congestion Charges for electric vehicles. The car hire business has begun a formal consultation with employees in the UK and will stop taking new bookings [...]
Budget: ‘Tax on holidays’ slammed by Butlin’s boss November 26, 2025 The chief executive of Butlin’s has slammed Rachel Reeves for introducing a ‘tax on holidays’ in her Budget today. Jon Hendry Pickup has argued that “hospitality businesses like Butlin’s remain caught in the crossfire of the Chancellor’s tax and spend ideology”. The chief executive was reacting to the ‘tourism tax’ which has been welcomed by [...]
Autumn Budget ‘deeply concerning’ for squeezed hospitality industry November 26, 2025 The UK’s hospitality industry has been disappointed by the Autumn Budget, with no cuts to VAT and no changes to National Insurance. Even a cut to business rates has been described as “too little, too little” as well as something likely to get wiped out by an inflation-linked revaluation of rates next year. “This is [...]
Reeves opens door for mayors to impose ‘damaging’ tourist tax November 25, 2025 Mayors in England are set to be given new powers to levy a tourist tax on visitors to fund local projects under a new policy. Reeves will give mayors the ability to impose a “modest” charge on visitors staying in hotels, bed and breakfasts, guest houses and holiday lets through the English Devolution and Community [...]