Tories vow to freeze commuter rail fares April 9, 2015 THE COST OF rail season tickets will be frozen in real terms throughout the next parliament under plans announced late last night as part of the Conservative party’s General Election manifesto. Train companies’ regulated fares – which include commuter season tickets – will be able to rise, on average, only at the rate of retail [...]
Eric Pickles car crash interview: Senior Tory struggles to explain Cameron’s paid volunteering scheme April 10, 2015 Communities secretary Eric Pickles suffered a bruising encounter on Radio 4's Today programme as he struggled to explain Tory plans to give workers three days' paid leave for volunteering. David Cameron pledged a future Conservative government will offer workers in the public sector and big private companies three days' paid leave for volunteering. Large companies [...]
Business backs Sajid Javid over strike law reforms May 12, 2015 Business groups have rallied behind government moves to make big changes to strike laws. New business minister Sajid Javid said he will use his first days in office to tighten rules surrounding strikes, saying that the Tory government’s Queen’s Speech would introduce thresholds for strike ballots. Under the proposals, strikes affecting public services would need [...]
Royal Institute of British Architects awards the gongs for the year’s best cutting edge building designs May 21, 2015 If you work in London, you’re spoiled for choice when it comes to great architecture. Whether we’re renaming iconic office buildings like The Gherkin, dining in converted churches in the East End or catching a train from an 18th century masterpiece, we take our superb architectural blend of the contemporary and the historic for granted. [...]
24-hour party poopers: Tube drivers threaten to disrupt plans for 24-service over pay hike and four day week March 25, 2015 The long-awaited introduction of the 24-hour Tube has been put in jeopardy after London Underground demanded higher pay and more days off. Aslef, the train driver's union, wants a four-day working week for its members and has already rejected a cash lump sum of £500. Talks are ongoing, but the union hasn't ruled out strike [...]
Night Tube series: Top seven places to buy a house in London along the Jubilee Line September 4, 2015 With the Night Tube delayed for the time being, now is the best time to consider buying in an area that’s set to benefit from it. Research shows that when new transport links come in, house prices only rise once the trains start running so it’s worth taking a punt before the asking prices shoot [...]
Lanacshire County Pension Fund enters Eurostar bidding war February 8, 2015 Lanacshire County Pension Fund (LCPF) has thrown its hat into the ring in the battle to buy the government’s 40 per cent holding in Eurostar. The £5.7bn fund, which invests on behalf of thousands of Lancashire’s local authority workers, is up against various international infrastructure investors to buy the stake, which is valued at £400m. [...]
Tube strike dates announced for Saturday night 7 March over driver sacking March 2, 2015 There's more misery for Londoners as Tube drivers have announced the dates for another strike over the sacking of a colleague. The walkout will begin on Saturday 7 March at 9.30pm and end on Sunday 8 March 3.59am, minimising transport chaos by avoiding rush hour but potentially leaving some revellers confused. The London Underground drivers [...]
The General Election fight, Mayweather Vs Pacquiao fight, s**t trains and marathons: What got us talking this week May 1, 2015 This was the week when everyone became completely pumped about the General Election. No? Well, David Cameron did, anyway, so we were told. The entire political establishment (and even self-styled revolutionaries) really ramped things up in the vote-hunting stakes as the parties square up. Anyone would think there was an election next week. Skip your [...]
UK national rail strike: Which train routes are affected, will my ticket be valid, when will the strike take place? All your Network Rail bank holiday walkout questions answered May 21, 2015 UPDATE 2.45pm: The RMT has followed the TSSA union in "suspending" its strike . Things are not going well for Network Rail: having tried everything in its arsenal to prevent a planned strike by workers in the RMT union over pay and jobs, yesterday it resorted to sending threatening legal letters. Not exactly a sign of power. As [...]