Podcast: The plastic problem facing investors August 11, 2021 Read the full transcript Part one: The weight of plastic worth all the fish in the sea Ashleigh Cowie (AC): In doing research for this podcast I came across this astonishing fact. Are you ready for it? David Brett (DB): Go on then. Hit me with it. AC: Right now, there are more than 5 trillion pieces of [...]
Travelling abroad has changed August 6, 2021 We all know life has been turned upside down over the past eighteen months. That’s nowhere more true than in travel, with border restrictions across the world designed to stop the spread of the Covid-19 virus and new variants. As we exit lockdown, travel is once again opening up. But that doesn’t mean it’s all [...]
Mexico headed for travel red list but India turns amber as hotel quarantine rises to £3,700 per couple August 5, 2021 Any couples travelling in Mexico will now see their holiday get whole lot more expensive: The tourist hotspot will move to the UK’s travel red list from 4am Sunday, meaning any Brits arriving back in England must pay for a 10-day hotel quarantine which will rise to £3,700 per couple. The UK Government announced the [...]
Sadiq Khan wants to make not wearing a mask on Tube a criminal offence August 5, 2021 Refusing to wear a face mask on the Tube should be made into a criminal offence, Sadiq Khan has said. The mayor of London wants the government to introduce a new bye-law that would enshrine face mask wearing on Transport for London (TfL) in law. Wearing a face mask in enclosed spaces is no longer [...]
Battle brewing over ‘unreformed and generous’ TfL pension scheme August 4, 2021 Sadiq Khan is gearing up for a battle with Transport for London (TfL) staff after a report on the transport operator’s finances found its pension scheme was “expensive, unreformed and generous”. According to the Telegraph, advisers to London’s Mayor have said that the current scheme is more beneficial for workers than models used by Network [...]
Croydon tram crash: Families make official call for new inquest August 4, 2021 The families of the victims of the Croydon tram crash have made a formal request for a fresh inquest into the incident, after last month’s verdict was slammed as a “total farce”. In July the jury ruled that the seven deaths were the result of an accident after the coroner did not call representatives of [...]
London hailed as world’s ‘city of choice’ in quality of life report August 4, 2021 London has topped the rankings out of 80 cities around the globe for a higher quality of life and social capital, according to a new report. The mammoth survey by Boston Consulting Group analysed responses from 25,000 residents in 80 cities around the world and using over 150 metrics. The UK’s capital won the title [...]
RMT union postpones this week’s London Tube strikes August 2, 2021 Two separate Tube strikes planned for this week have been postponed, after the drivers’ union decided to hold more talks with Transport for London (TfL). London was set for travel chaos tomorrow, with a 24-hour drivers’ strike scheduled to begin at midday that was expected to affect the entire network. TfL wants to scrap the [...]
Westminster becomes newest borough to join London’s e-scooter trials August 2, 2021 E-scooters will be rolling out across the West End after Westminster Council and TfL agreed to extend a trial of the new transport tech into the hear of the capital. Westminster has now joined Ealing, Hammersmith & Fulham, Richmond, Kensington & Chelsea, Canary Wharf and Southwark in the trial. The use of privately owned e-scooters [...]
The return of the West End: rebuilding a delicate ecosystem of workers and culture August 1, 2021 While London’s West End may be known for its flagship stores, Michelin star restaurants, world-class hotels and unrivalled theatres, it is also home to a thriving office sector. One in ten Londoners are employed in the West End across various industries, from retail and leisure through to finance and real estate. This ecosystem of industries [...]