Bus cuts: Westminster Council ‘deeply concerned’ as savings drive forces TfL into drastic service reduction June 1, 2022 Westminster Council has expressed “deep concern” after Transport for London (TfL) announced it was planning a raft of bus cuts following the government’s refusal to offer the public body long-term backing. “I am deeply concerned that the government’s failure to properly fund Transport for London while we recover from the pandemic may have a real [...]
Sadiq Khan sets aside £43m for Londoners struggling to keep homes warm May 31, 2022 London mayor Sadiq Khan has set aside £43m to boost his Warmer Homes programme, which seeks to support those in poorly insulated properties. With energy bills expected to rise again this winter, amid a cost of living crisis, Khan is looking to create grants of between £5,000 and £25,000 available to low-income households. Energy regulator [...]
Government dinner: Capital’s leaders call for end of “anti-London” rhetoric in keynote speeches May 31, 2022 London’s most high-profile leaders last night called for a reset of relations with central government in speeches at the Mansion House. The City’s elected chief – the Lord Mayor of London Vincent Keavney – told business and political leaders at the London Government Dinner that the words “metropolitan” and “London” have been used “as though [...]
Leaders right to call on government to reset relationship with London May 30, 2022 Londoners are not typically known for their patience, but in truth the leaders of this city have shown a remarkable ability in recent years to bite their tongue amid unprecedented attacks on the capital. That patience appears finally to have worn thin, at least judging from last night’s speeches at the Mansion House from both [...]
City Lord Mayor says ‘the word London shouldn’t be an insult’ May 30, 2022 The words “metropolitan and London” should not be used as an insult and the capital needs to share in the government’s levelling up programme, according to London Lord Mayor Vincent Keaveny. Keaveny will tonight tell the annual London government dinner at Mansion House that “London is one of the UK’s strongest assets – anything which [...]
Not your time yet: Tube suicides down by half as successful staff interventions jump dramatically May 30, 2022 The number of suicides on the London Underground are down by nearly a half in five years, new data reveals. TfL said this morning this is primarily driven by successful staff interventions, as those doubled between 2017 and 2021, totalling 2,225. London Underground’s Suicide Prevention Programme training encourages station staff to intervene if they believe someone [...]
Turns out London Mayor Sadiq Khan is a big fan of ABBA May 27, 2022 It was confirmed yesterday that the Swedish band ABBA is bringing its Voyage show to London. The announcement led to City Hall putting out a statement, in which Mayor Sadiq Khan said he was “incredibly proud” to welcome ABBA to London. Khan said: “I am incredibly proud that, more than forty years since their last [...]
Around 4,000 people fined for not wearing masks on TfL network during pandemic May 27, 2022 Around 4,000 people were fined for not wearing a face covering on London’s transport network when it was compulsory due to Covid. According to City Hall data, 3,996 fixed penalty notices were issued between 24 February 2021 and 27 January 2022. Figures also showed that TfL staff prevented 7,283 people from travelling while forcing another [...]
D-Day for Boris Johnson as Downing Street hold its breath ahead of today’s Sue Gray partygate report May 25, 2022 The long-awaited Sue Gray report – into Downing Street parties during the coronavirus lockdowns – is to be published today. Downing Street is holding is breath as it is widely expected the document may contain some harsh conclusions. In fact, the senior civil servant’s report is expected to be heavily critical of the culture in [...]
The City View: Crossrail finally arrives May 24, 2022 Today Andy Silvester talks to Adam Tyndall, Programme Director for Connectivity at London First. They talk all things Crossrail — from the first idea of an East-West railway in the 19th century, to the funding behind the Elizabeth Line, and to the future of London’s transport system. And in other news — Shell’s AGM was [...]