HS2: Transport department defends top civil servant over transparency row March 15, 2020 The Department for Transport (DfT) has denied its top civil servant broke the civil service code of conduct as she faces accusations she withheld information on HS2’s budget blowouts. City A.M. reported earlier this month that DfT permanent secretary Bernadette Kelly admitted she did not tell parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) she knew HS2 was [...]
Primark refuses to pay rent bill amid coronavirus crisis March 25, 2020 Budget retailer Primark has today reportedly refused to pay its rent bill after closing all of its stores due to the coronavirus pandemic, as fears mount that some retailers will never reopen after the outbreak. Primark has written to landlords to tell them it would not meet its quarterly rent payment due on 110 leasehold [...]
Face masks and all bags in the hold: Government sets out air travel advice June 11, 2020 The Department for Transport has today laid out plans for safe aviation travel, setting out measures airlines and airports should implement to protect passengers. In line with other forms of public transport, passengers are told to wear face masks on planes and in airports, and are also encouraged to check all bags including hand luggage [...]
Jose Mourinho ready to silence critics once more on return to Old Trafford December 3, 2019 It was this very fixture little more than two years ago that saw Jose Mourinho turn to the TV cameras and raise a silencing finger to his lips. Manchester United had just beaten Tottenham 1-0 to maintain their 100 per cent home record and keep the pressure on table-toppers Manchester City – a scenario that [...]
New era as Avanti begins running West Coast Main Line services December 8, 2019 A new era began for West Coast Main Line train services this morning as Avanti completed its first journey from London Euston to Manchester. Avanti, the franchise managed by the partnership of Aberdee’s FirstGroup and Italy’s Trenitalia, has taken over from Virgin Trains, which has run the line since 1997. Read more: Virgin Trains’ manager [...]
Lockdown in north-west England: What are the new rules? July 31, 2020 Last night health secretary Matt Hancock announced via Twitter that millions of people in northern England would be subject to new restrictions after an increase in coronavirus cases. The new rules, which met with criticism over how they were announced, apply to people in Greater Manchester, east Lancashire and parts of West Yorkshire. The measures [...]
Travelodge to open 20 new London hotels February 17, 2020 Travelodge will open 20 new hotels in London over the next five years as it seeks to fill a gap in the capital’s budget hotel sector. The company said it is currently actively exploring opportunities at 100 locations in 29 of London’s 32 boroughs, including Westminster, Kensington and Islington. The hotel operator, which already has [...]
Our cities must work together to unlock Britain’s full potential November 25, 2019 When most people think of the UK financial and professional services sector, they immediately associate it with tall towers and iconic institutions based in the Square Mile. But that is just one part of the story. Today, 2.3m people are employed in these industries, with over two thirds of those jobs outside of London. As [...]
HS2 costs could hit £106bn, leaked review warns January 20, 2020 Building HS2 could cost up to £106bn, according to a leaked government-commissioned review that reportedly outlines a 20 per cent rise in costs to the UK infrastructure project. The review into the controversial high-speed rail link project warns of “considerable risk” that costs could balloon further from HS2’s original budget of £32.7bn. The government has [...]
Manchester City’s loss to Lyon exposed some nagging problems and should be a wake-up call September 20, 2018 The 2018-19 season has long been earmarked as Manchester City’s big push for the Champions League. Pep Guardiola has had two years and three summer transfer windows to mould a squad capable of toppling the continent’s heavyweights and the manner of last term’s runaway Premier League triumph pointed to a team ready to challenge on [...]