Boris Johnson plan for millions of coronavirus tests each day ‘a long way off’ September 16, 2020 The government’s plan to administer millions of daily tests in a bid to scrap social distancing restrictions is “still a long way off”, according to Boris Johnson. The Prime Minister last week unveiled his plan to eventually have everybody take coronavirus tests, which give a result in under an hour, each morning that show if [...]
Silvertown Tunnel to cost £2bn over next 30 years September 16, 2020 A controversial tunnel which will connect Greenwich with London’s Docklands will cost Transport for London (TfL) almost £2bn over the next three decades. Although the actual construction of the Silvertown Tunnel remains at £1bn, figures from the capital’s transport operator show that the overall cost for building, maintaining and operating the tunnel will be £65m [...]
Exclusive: London employment levels will not recover until 2023, says new analysis September 16, 2020 Levels of employment in London will not reach pre-coronavirus levels until 2023 at the earliest, according to new figures from City Hall. The Greater London Authority’s latest macroeconomic analysis, seen by City A.M., shows that London unemployment is expected to rise by 5.5 per cent by next year. The figures show that the capital’s economy, [...]
Tory mayoral candidate Bailey hits out at Khan over TfL delays September 15, 2020 Conservative mayoral candidate Shaun Bailey has accused London mayor Sadiq Khan of “failing to deliver reliable transport” in the capital, as public transport delays across the latter’s tenure continued to rise. Khan, who is also responsible for monitoring Transport for London’s (TfL) performance in his role as mayor, launched an independent review of body’s future [...]
Tory mayoral candidate Shaun Bailey closes gap to Sadiq Khan September 13, 2020 Tory mayoral candidate Shaun Bailey is just seven points behind mayor of London Sadiq Khan in shock internal Conservative party polling. The private polling reportedly shows Khan is leading Bailey by 42 per cent to 35 per cent on first preference voting, according to the Sunday Telegraph. The internal Tory polling has Khan winning on [...]
London transport freedom passes for all – but at what cost? September 11, 2020 Earlier this week it was reported that senior London business figures were pressing the mayor and Transport for London (TfL) to offer free travel on public transport to encourage the public, in their guise as potential consumers, to venture into the city and make free with their hard-earned pounds. Ewan Venters, CEO of Fortnum and [...]
Jacob Rees-Mogg self-isolates after child shows Covid symptoms September 10, 2020 Commons leader Jacob Rees-Mogg has gone into self-isolation after one of his children displayed symptoms of Covid-19. Deputy chief whip Stuart Andrew stood in for Rees-Mogg, making the business statement in the chamber this morning. In a tweet the Commons leader wrote: “Many thanks to Stuart Andrew for standing in for me at Business Questions. [...]
One in five Londoners will not go back to pre-Covid levels of Tube usage September 10, 2020 A little more than one in five Londoners do not believe they will use the Tube at the same frequency as they did prior to the coronavirus pandemic, according to a new survey. A newly released YouGov survey, seen exclusively by City A.M., showed that 22 per cent of Londoners expect their decreased use of [...]
Government to invest £65m in new technologies September 10, 2020 The government has today announced that it will invest £65m into a range of future technologies including batteries for electric vehicles, robotics, and new medical treatments. The money will be made available through the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund, which will help the UK build back better from the coronavirus crisis by transitioning to a low [...]
Hammersmith Bridge: Government thinks TfL inflated £140m repair estimate September 9, 2020 The government is refusing to fund repairs for the closed Hammersmith Bridge because it believes the £140m price tag has been inflated by the local council and Transport for London (TfL), City A.M. can reveal. A source close to transport secretary Grant Shapps said the government wants to fund the restoration of the 133-year-old West [...]