Commuters face fresh Southern misery as union ballots members on new strikes August 3, 2016 Southern Rail travellers face fresh commute misery in September after a rail union announced plans to ballot staff over a potential strike. The Transport Salaried Staffs' Association will poll 150 station staff members over Southern railway plans to close ticket offices and cut staffing numbers. 34 offices are set to close, while 49 will only [...]
TfL are cracking down on illegal taxis and minicabs, but unions says it’s failing to look at “e-hailing” services like Uber August 2, 2016 Sadiq Khan has unveiled plans to crack down on illegal taxis and minicabs – but transport union RMT has complained the drive will fail to look at smartphone services like Uber. Transport for London (TfL) will hire an additional 250 hi-vis wearing compliance officers by September 2017, quadrupling the number available to tackle illegal cabs at sites across London including Kings Cross, [...]
Labour’s love affair with fantasy economics August 1, 2016 In a recent interview Jeremy Corbyn was asked to identify his successes of the past year. Alongside saying sorry for the Iraq war, the Labour leader said “turning the party into one that challenges the economic orthodoxy” comes high on his list of achievements. He may be challenging it, but he's far from forging a [...]
Almost half of London companies are wary of business rates being revalued, according to a new survey August 1, 2016 Almost half of London firms are harbouring fears about the revaluation of business rates, according to a new survey. Research carried out out by the London Chamber of Commerce and Industry found that 44 per cent are worried about the new rates, which will come into effect on 1 April next year. In a survey [...]
London mayor Sadiq Khan has branded Labour’s anti-business reputation as an “embarrassment” July 31, 2016 Labour is seen as being “unfriendly to business”, according to the party's most senior elected politician, London mayor Sadiq Khan. Khan said the City of London in particular had “unease” with Labour both in the 2015 general election and under its current leadership. A spokesman for Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn declined to respond to Khan's comments Sources close [...]
Southern Rail guards to stage five-day strike in August 2016 July 28, 2016 Rail union RMT has confirmed a new round of industrial action involving Southern Rail guards after "a point blank refusal by both the company and the government to engage with the union" ahead of a 21 August deadline. Guards will not work any shifts between 12:01AM on Monday 8 August and 11:59PM on Friday 12 August. [...]
City Airport expansion is a boost for London July 28, 2016 Recent political events have thrown any decision on UK airport expansion further into doubt. Even before the referendum and subsequent resignation of David Cameron, it was tough to pin down exactly what the government was minded to do about the pressing need to expand capacity in the south east. Throughout the debate (which looks set [...]
Commuter hell might get worse: RMT to ballot station staff across Govia Thameslink Railways July 27, 2016 Already reeling from upheaval on Southern Rail, commuters may enter the next circle of hell as RMT is to ballot staff across Govia Thameslink Railways (GTR). The union says it is to ballot station staff for industrial action over the threat to jobs, pay and safety from the impact of ticket office closures and the [...]
Four good things that have happened in the UK since the Brexit vote July 27, 2016 Who could blame us for worrying over our economic fate after the Brexit vote? We were afraid that the economy was heading for certain death and we wouldn't be able to rescue it. Here we are, over a month after the vote and it looks like there may be some light at the end of [...]
Six steps to housing heaven: How Theresa May can kick-start a house-building revolution July 26, 2016 The new Prime Minister has been in place for two weeks now, and is getting to work to achieve her positive agenda of uniting the country and promoting all parts of it, so no one is left behind. To deliver this, there has been substantial focus on housing delivery. The social case for housing is [...]