Business bodies slam government’s TfL bailout conditions as a ‘mockery’ October 21, 2020 London business bodies have slammed the government’s demands for a potential bailout for Transport for London (TfL) as a “mockery”, accusing ministers of “railroading” policy through while the transport network is on its knees during the pandemic. Ministers last night threatened to take direct control of TfL unless London mayor Sadiq Khan accepts a raft [...]
Khan accuses PM of ‘blatant lie’ in tit-for-tat over TfL bailout October 21, 2020 Sadiq Khan has accused the government of “lying” and playing “party political games” during Transport for London (TfL) bailout talks, sparking a tit-for-tat with the Prime Minister over the future of the ailing transport network. The London mayor told TfL’s board meeting today that the government wrote a “blank cheque without conditions” when giving emergency [...]
Ready to order? Business lunches may be exempt from new Tier 2 restrictions October 21, 2020 City restaurants are preparing to allow business lunches to resume after legal advice suggested work meetings are allowed at hospitality venues under an exemption to Tier 2 restrictions. The rules, which came into effect last weekend, mean people cannot mix with another household in pubs or restaurants. The hospitality sector has already warned that a [...]
London jobs market shows signs of recovery after 50 per cent hike in listings October 21, 2020 London has begun to recover from a swathe of redundancies handed out during the pandemic, with job listings in the capital hiking more than 50 per cent over the last three months, according to new research. Adverts for jobs based in London jumped 52 per cent between July and September, data from independent job board [...]
Number of Tube journeys rises again ahead of Tier 2 restrictions October 21, 2020 The number of Tube journeys rose again last week despite the announcement of harsher restrictions on the capital, new data from Transport for London (TfL) has shown. Although London was moved into Tier 2 restrictions from midnight on Friday, there was no sign of a drop off in travel ahead of the new coronavirus limitations [...]
Sadiq Khan urges ministers to build more London council houses to ease post-pandemic inequality October 21, 2020 Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has urged ministers to significantly increase the number of council houses in London, in a bid to offset increasing wealth disparities caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. Khan today launched a major new report calling on the government to “stop blocking the aspiration of London’s councils to build” and urging ministers [...]
Think tank: London may need £440m a month if put into Tier 3 restrictions October 21, 2020 London would need more than £400m a month from the government if it is plunged into Tier 3 and if the city makes the same funding requests as Manchester, according to a top think tank. The Centre for Cities has calculated the capital would need £112.4m for every week it is in the top band [...]
Government warns that it will ‘take control’ of TfL unless bailout demands met October 20, 2020 The government has warned Sadiq Khan that it will take the management of Transport for London (TfL) into its own hands if the Mayor does not accept its demands as part of a new bailout deal. In return for a second rescue package, transport secretary Grant Shapps has set out a number of demands including [...]
Andy Burnham turns down £60m in Tier 3 funding for Manchester October 20, 2020 Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham has refused the government’s offer of £60m in return for accepting new draconian Tier 3 Covid restrictions. Burnham told a press conference today that he asked for £100m in extra funding originally, but was willing to accept as little as £65m. Downing Street would not budge from its £60m figure [...]
Sadiq Khan calls for 10pm Covid curfew to be scrapped October 20, 2020 Sadiq Khan has called for England’s 10pm curfew to be scrapped in a bid to save London’s ailing hospitality industry. The mayor of London said the curfew made no sense now that household mixing was banned indoors as a part of the latest Tier 2 restrictions placed on the capital last week. “Immediately scrapping the [...]