Dear Queen, here’s everything business wants you to say in your speech May 26, 2015 On Wednesday the Queen will give her Speech from the Throne, setting out the policy plan for the Conservative government. Big topics to be covered include the EU referendum, which Prime Minister David Cameron has promised to hold within the next two years, housing, immigration, and devolution for cities outside London. Many of the [...]
In pictures: Why TfL escalator and lift work can take so long May 26, 2015 Maintaining the heavy duty escalators and lifts which support London's tube network is a mammoth task – and this helps to explain why replacements and refurbishment can take such a frustratingly long time. It all boils down to the fact these escalators and lifts aren't subjected to an ordinary degree of wear and tear, according to Transport for [...]
Black cab protest: Police close Victoria Street, Buckingham Gate as United Cabbies Group rails against TfL’s lack of support May 26, 2015 Central London roads were gridlocked this afternoon as the black cab protest caused chaos around Parliament Square, Whitehall, Embankment and Lambeth Palace Road. Campaigners are directing the protest, scheduled to take place between 2pm and 4pm today, against Transport for London, which they claim are not doing enough to keep on top of regulation [...]
Conservatives want to end free travel for friends and flatmates of TfL employees, saying it will save the government millions May 26, 2015 Friends, flatmates and family of TfL staff are currently able to use London's public transport for free, but the Conservatives want to put a stop to this. They say the rule, which allows each employee of the body to select one person they live with to be able to travel around the capital cost-free using [...]
London’s cabbies are taking on Uber, and TfL in high stakes fight for capital’s streets May 25, 2015 Transport for London’s (TfL) headquarters will be the scene of a protest by black cab drivers today. The action is a demonstration of the simmering tensions between traditional cabbies and modern firms like Uber, which show no sign of dying down. Black cab drivers are represented by the London Taxi Drivers’ Association (LTDA), Unite [...]
Tapping into a priceless showcase for sport: MasterCard’s Mark Barnett wants the World Cup to pay off for rugby and his brand May 25, 2015 For those of a certain age, the day that Erica Roe streaked at Twickenham during an England-Australia rugby international is a sporting image to rival anything that the greats of that generation, from Duckham to Underwood, Beaumont to Carling, achieved on the field of play. For Mark Barnett, president in the UK and Ireland for [...]
Clicks vs bricks is gone: Even savvy e-commerce firms need to do both May 21, 2015 The retail industry is in a state of flux. Consumers and technology are driving fundamental changes. And now, the line between in-store and online is increasingly blurred. When online shopping began to gain popularity, the future of retail was painted by numerous commentators as being a battle: clicks versus bricks. But recent events [...]
Sunlight Mews: A stunning mix of old and new in Fulham May 21, 2015 A mews used to mean one thing – bijou homes in boroughs such as Notting Hill or Chelsea that once served as stables and staff quarters for Britain’s wealthy. Built in the 1800-1900s, mews houses were typically nestled away at the back of much larger, grander houses and lined two sides of a cobbled lane. [...]
Focus on Poplar: There’s good reason it’s getting so popular, you know May 21, 2015 It hasn’t always been so popular to live in Poplar. Its postcode, E14, has held the dubious honour of being the most unequal in the UK, as its East End estates sit a stone’s throw away from the shimmering towers of Canary Wharf. It’s now best known in the nation’s mindset as the impoverished setting [...]
A penthouse in Fitzrovia: Look down on Great Portland Street May 21, 2015 Prepare for the heat with this penthouse, which has a roof terrace that’s bigger than most London one-bed apartments The forecasts are in and the weatherman says this summer’s set to be a scorcher. Fortunately, roof terraces are hot stuff these days as rooftop bars, cinemas, gardens and yoga have swept through the city. [...]