London Tech Week day five: A week that gave me confidence in the UK tech ecosystem June 12, 2026 From the office to the climate, the conversations at London Tech Week point in a clear direction: UK tech is moving from potential to deployment.
Give me home Euros over World Cup, but is it really worth £557m of taxpayers’ money? June 11, 2026 I’m sure I’ll enjoy much of the 2026 World Cup, provided I can stay awake late enough, but I’ll approach Euro 2028 with far greater enthusiasm. Home nations competing on home soil in British Summer Time and with advertisers and broadcasters whipping up interest among the general populace. What’s not to like, other than violent [...]
Why are so many people abandoning sex toys on the Tube? June 11, 2026 Last year the number of bedroom gadgets found on the transport network increased by 30 per cent. James Ford has some questions… There is a moment every year that I look forward to. Not, perhaps, as much as Christmas….but it’s close. It is, of course, the moment when some bored journalist at the Evening Standard [...]
Fideres Study Finds TfL Fare Zones Disproportionately Burden Ethnic Minority Commuters June 10, 2026 London's Underground fare zone system may constitute unlawful indirect discrimination against BAME commuters, according to a new study by Fideres Partners.
Let’s help London’s £53.5bn airport investment opportunity take off June 10, 2026 The report highlights how London’s global success has been underpinned by its connectivity. Yet those connections are straining through a combination of a Byzantine planning system, regulatory hurdles and rising, policy-driven, operating costs. If London can’t get airport investment off the ground, it’ll be left on the tarmac while other country’s growth flies, says John [...]
George Osborne: Manchesterism is a real thing but Burnham ‘only part of the story’ June 10, 2026 Former Chancellor George Osborne has said that mayor Andy Burnham should take some credit for Manchester’s high growth, defending Manchesterism as a “real thing”. Speaking to the House of Lords Economic Affairs Committee, he defended his move to begin devolving fiscal powers to Manchester during the Coalition government years under his “Northern Powerhouse” initiative. He [...]
The Bath House banya: Contrast therapy in Belgravia June 9, 2026 Contrast therapy is big business. Steve Dinneen visits The Bath House banya in Belgravia for a traditional sauna and icy plunge It is hard to overstate the meteoric rise in the UK’s hot and cold therapy business. The number of Finnish-style public saunas has grown from around 45 in 2023 to more than 700 today, [...]
Pret A Manger dumps US franchise agreement after just two years June 9, 2026 Pret A Manger has dumped the franchise agreement which it had launched to expand in the US after just two years, its latest accounts revealed. The coffee chain formed a joint venture, known as Empire JointStar, with its franchise operator Dallas Holdings in October 2023, in a bid to accelerate its expansion in the US. [...]
Uber and Wayve open waitlist for London robotaxis June 9, 2026 Uber has opened an interest list for customers keen to try autonomous minicabs in the capital, as self-driving taxis near a commercial launch in the UK. The ride-hailing giant is partnering with British autonomous driving firm Wayve, whose technology has been tested on London’s streets since 2018. Customers can now opt in through the Uber [...]
Portugal holidays: why The Algarve offers so much more than just beaches June 9, 2026 The Algarve beyond the beaches, by Jack J Matthews The prospect of walking 300 km is intimidating. But even the longest, most challenging of journeys begins with a single step, and as long as one foot keeps following the other, you will have covered a good distance in no time. This, at least, was the [...]