Sadiq Khan hits out at 51 landlords for not removing dangerous cladding September 2, 2020 Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has slammed 51 London landlords for not removing dangerous cladding from their buildings in the wake of the 2017 Grenfell disaster. Khan wrote to 47 private landlords and four social landlords who had been given government funding to remove cladding in their buildings that acted as a fire retardant in [...]
Can office workers save the day for local businesses ravaged by Covid-19? September 2, 2020 The sudden shift to remote working put in place by the majority of UK businesses may herald the end of the office, at least as we know it. Five months and multiple government campaigns later, and the shift to the kitchen table continues, seemingly unabated. According to a survey from US bank Morgan Stanley, just [...]
Black Lives Matter: City of London Corporation to review ‘problematic’ landmarks September 1, 2020 The City of London Corporation is today launching a review into landmarks and street names that have “historic links to slavery and racism” in the wake of this year’s Black Lives Matter protests. The three-month review will see the local authority ask people which landmarks “they think are a problem and what action they would [...]
Sir Graham Brady calls on ministers to get workers back to the office August 27, 2020 An influential senior Tory MP has urged the government to give workers a “clear and consistent message” that it is safe to return to the office. Sir Graham Brady, the chair of the 1922 committee of backbench Conservatives, said that if ministers did not do so there would be “devastating consequences” for the country’s towns [...]
Eat Out to Help Out: What happens when the restaurant discount scheme ends? August 26, 2020 Queues formed outside restaurants and reservations were booked up weeks in advance as Brits ventured out of lockdown to make the most of discounted meals this month. More than 64m meals have been claimed using the government’s offer to cover half the bill during August, with restaurants toasting a much needed pick-up in sales after [...]
Brits more hesitant to return to the office than European neighbours August 25, 2020 UK workers are more reluctant to return to the office than people from other large economies, according to a new survey. The analysis, completed by US staffing firm ManpowerGroup, showed that 73 per cent of UK workers showed a “negative sentiment” about returning to work. This compares to 59 per cent in France, 66 per [...]
Downing Street refuses to call for Londoners to go back to work August 24, 2020 Downing Street has refused to call for more people to return to their offices, despite increasing fears that decreased foot traffic in central London will cripple the economy. The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said today that it was up to individual employers to decide whether to bring back employees, while also refusing to say if [...]
Crossrail opening delayed until 2022 and extra £1.1bn needed to finish project August 21, 2020 The opening of London’s new Crossrail underground line has been delayed until 2022 and an extra £1.1bn is needed to complete the project, Crossrail Ltd said today. Crossrail said the central section of the Elizabeth Line between Paddington and Abbey Wood will be ready to open in the first half of 2022. Crossrail has faced [...]
Offices should be a ‘safe haven’ for suffering staff August 21, 2020 Offices across London are slowly beginning to reopen again after Prime Minister Boris Johnson gave firms “more discretion” from August to bring staff back in after lockdown. One such company is engineering consultancy Arup, which houses half of its 6,000 UK staff in its headquarters on Fitzroy Street in Bloomsbury. Tim Chapman, the firm’s London [...]
Self-isolating workers need more financial support, says Sadiq Khan August 20, 2020 The Mayor of London has urged the government to provide more financial support for employees who are required to self-isolate. Sadiq Khan has today written to the Chancellor and Health secretary calling for a further package to support workers and the businesses that employ them, should they have to quarantine. He raised concerns that the [...]