Boris gets ready for Tube strike June 8, 2009 BORIS Johnson yesterday revealed plans to keep London rolling, even if tonight’s proposed 48-hour tube strike goes ahead. The industrial action on London Underground (LU), which comes after a pay dispute between union RMT and LU, is due to begin at 7pm this evening. Both parties were last night locked in talks. If the strike [...]
WHAT THE OTHER PAPERS SAY THIS MORNING June 7, 2009 THE SUNDAYSThe Sunday Telegraph WIGLEY TO ADVISE ADVENTThe former chairman of Merrill Lynch’s European operations and a respected City figure, is joining the private equity firm Advent International to identify investment opportunities across the financial services industry. Wigley will become a part-time operating partner at Advent, which is sitting on a large cash-pile after raising [...]
Tube strike still on despite new pay proposal June 7, 2009 LONDON Underground (LU) this weekend renewed its calls for the union RMT to call off a planned strike that will bring chaos to the capital’s transport network from tomorrow evening. Tube workers are set to walk out on strike for 48 hours. LU made a revised four–year pay offer of 1.5 per cent this year [...]
Spending boost for West End’s stores May 25, 2009 HALF a million shoppers were drawn to London’s West End this bank holiday by a day of free parking and in-store entertainment. The event, which saw shoppers spend around £50m on Saturday alone, took the New West End Company six months to organise with co-operation from West End retailers, Westminster City Council and Transport for [...]
Crossrail gets City backing May 17, 2009 INFRASTRUCTURE investments such as the long-awaited Crossrail project, for which construction began last Friday, have a positive impact on the City, a survey out today will show. The data from City law firm Pinsent Masons shows that 77 per cent of the City think such investments will enhance London’s competitiveness and attractiveness as a business [...]
There must be no second thoughts on Crossrail May 17, 2009 TODAY marks a seminal point for the City as the House of Lords discusses the Business Rate Supplements Bill. A bill affecting payments from businesses will clearly always be of huge relevance to the prospects for City firms but this is doubly important because it will determine the future of the Crossrail project. The bill provides the [...]
WHAT THE OTHER PAPERS SAY THIS MORNING May 13, 2009 FINANCIAL TIMESCCB SHARE DEAL VOLUME SURGES AFTER BANK OF AMERICA SELL-DOWNThe volume of share dealing in China Construction Bank soared yesterday, fuelling speculation that some buyers of Bank of America’s $7.3bn (£4.8bn) sell down had flipped their holdings to pocket huge gains. The troubled US bank on Tuesday sold 13.5bn shares in the mainland lender [...]
FirstGroup hit by rail slump May 13, 2009 Transport giant FirstGroup said yesterday annual profits at its rail division fell 21 per cent due to the impact of the recession on its London franchises The group said the UK’s economic woes meant rail revenues growth slowed to 9.5 per cent in the year. Across the whole group, which has bus operations in the [...]
Could now be the moment to enter the dragon? August 8, 2008 As the Olympics begin, China has never been more intriguing, says Samantha Downes It was once a region where only the least risk-averse would fear to tread, but China has emerged as a magnet for investors’ cash. In the last decade the communist-run country has emerged as the world’s second largest economy. Its willingness to [...]
London is as congested as five years ago says TfL August 7, 2008 London is just as congested as it was five years ago before the introduction of the Congestion Charge, because of roadworks and measures to give priority to pedestrians, buses and cyclists. Transport for London (TfL), which runs the capital’s transport system, said traffic levels had fallen significantly since the Congestion Charge was introduced in January [...]