Night Tube: Aslef’s London Underground drivers vote in favour of latest TfL deal after months of negotiations March 7, 2016 After months of negotiations Tube drivers have voted overwhelmingly in favour of accepting the latest deal offered by Transport for London. The London Underground drivers, who are members of the union Aslef, voted with a majority of nearly nine-to-one in favour of the latest pay and conditions terms offered by TfL around the Night Tube [...]
Sunday trading hours: Why the campaign against changes to the law by industry groups and Tory MPs is utterly bonkers March 7, 2016 I am confused, bemused and somewhat irritated by the constant threats from MPs, trading bodies and groups around the country to derail the government’s plans to relax the Sunday trading laws. Creating barriers to trade is out-dated and puts the UK at risk. More than 20 Tory Ministers and MPs have threatened to block the plans before [...]
London airport expansion: Londoners prefer Gatwick to Heathrow by 12-point margin according to latest YouGov poll March 7, 2016 Londoners are significantly more likely to support the expansion of Gatwick Airport than another runway at Heathrow Airport, according to a new poll out today. YouGov polled more than 1,000 adults last month, finding that 46 per cent preferred expanding Gatwick Airport. Thirty-four per cent wanted Heathrow to be expanded, instead. YouGov also found that Gatwick [...]
And the winner is…Deliveroo announces the winning companies from its 100 lunches competition March 6, 2016 Last week was a big one for awards. While Britain's top bosses were showered with gongs at Thursday's PLC Awards Dinner and European bankers were commended by the City of London Corporation at an awards party at Manison House, London's staffers battled tooth and nail for free food in Deliveroo's 100 lunches competition. Upmarket takeaway transporters Deliveroo [...]
Demand for private helicopter flights soars to its highest level since the recession ahead of Cheltenham Festival March 3, 2016 The helicopter business is booming, with more guests than ever shelling out for helicopter flights from London to this year's Cheltenham Festival, according to the event's organisers. Skytime Jets, Cheltenham's main helicopter provider, has said bookings for private flights direct from London to the races have doubled since last year, making 2016 the biggest year for grand entrances to the grandstand since [...]
Urban planner Sir Terry Farrell slams plans for transport hub at Old Oak Common as “London’s worst cock-up in 50 years” March 3, 2016 One of the capital's largest-ever regeneration schemes could end up being its "worst cock-up in years", one of London's best-known urban planners has warned. In an interview with the Evening Standard, Sir Terry Farrell said the £10bn Old Oak Common scheme has been the victim of in-fighting by politicians. The 100-acre site in North West London is set to become a [...]
Night Tube back on track? RMT members vote in favour of new deal – and here’s the pay rises drivers have agreed March 1, 2016 Members of the biggest transport union RMT have backed a new deal in a move that could – finally – pave the way for the Night Tube to launch. The deal, which has been overwhelmingly accepted in a ballot revealed this afternoon, comes after months of wrangling between Transport for London and the unions, including TSSA and [...]
EU referendum: Mayor Boris Johnson backs report saying London could be Europe’s world city after Brexit – but needs further infrastructure investment March 1, 2016 Mayor of London Boris Johnson has made his latest intervention into the EU debate, arguing that can still be "Europe's world city" even in the case of a Brexit. The Johnson-backed report, titled London: The Global Powerhouse, says that if the UK forges ties with new markets and maintains its competitive edge, London can overcome competition from rival global [...]
London’s housing market is failing the capital’s workers: We can’t make this crisis someone else’s problem March 1, 2016 With house prices a staggering 13 times the average London wage, and rents taking up on average 60 per cent of London tenants' incomes, the prospect of finding an affordable place to live is slipping further out of reach for many of the capital’s four million-strong workforce. As the housing crisis deepens, workers from across the [...]
Pound could fall to parity with the euro if Brexit vote gets through, warns UBS, as Deutsche Bank says Brexit would be a “journey down the rabbit hole” for UK economy February 29, 2016 Economic wonks at UBS have calculated the British pound could fall to equal value to the euro, if the UK does decide to quit the European Union in the vote set for 23 June. UBS reckons the chance that the UK will leave the EU stands at around 40 per cent. The latest warning follows [...]