How government is opening its supply chain – to small business’s benefit December 7, 2014 If you’ve never considered government as a potential client for your business, think again. Government spends £230bn every year on products and services across all layers – from central and local government, to the police, NHS, and emergency services. This may not previously have appealed to the small business owner, as the perception has always [...]
London Tube strike called off after RMT union makes “substantial progress” October 9, 2014 The 48-hour Tube strike that was due to take place next week has been called off after unions said they had made “substantial progress” in talks. The strike had been scheduled to start at 9pm on Tuesday and run until 8:59pm Thursday evening, and had been called over the threat of around 900 job [...]
Apple Pay is only the start: Mobile wallets are about to take off October 21, 2014 It’s here folks. Well, in the US at least. Yesterday, a string of American retailers (including Bloomingdale’s, Foot Locker and Toys R Us) started accepting Apple Pay transactions, allowing consumers to make payments through credit card information stored on the new iPhone. Exciting stuff, but haven’t people been predicting the end of cash for some [...]
Japan needs its Thatcher moment or Abenomics is destined to be a failure November 23, 2014 Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of Japan is halfway there. After two decades of stagnation, matched by a consistently underwhelming political response to this seminal challenge, there is no doubt that Abe is at least aware of the true extent of the problem: that his legacy is wholly bound up with ending Japan’s “Lost Decades”. In [...]
More tube strikes on the way? RMT announces overtime ban for next week August 28, 2014 The Rail, Maritime and Transport workers' union has made the latest move in its conflict with London Underground (LU) and Mayor Boris Johnson. On Wednesday, RMT staff will be instructed not to work any overtime and not to participate in development courses. The union blamed the action on LU's failure to engage over plans to close ticket [...]
Why I’m backing Maaxi – to launch a new black cab ride-sharing revolution October 1, 2014 GPS-enabled smartphones and apps have transformed urban commutes more than any technological advancement in the last 100 years, as former mayor Ken Livingstone outlines in a remarkable letter (see below), calling for action to ensure the controlled adoption of disruptive technologies in transport. While trains, buses and cars have evolved in speed and comfort, these [...]
Hitachi to move its rail business over to Britain March 20, 2014 HITACHI, the company behind Japan’s bullet trains, is moving its global rail headquarters to the UK, cementing the firm’s focus on contracts here and in Europe. The company is due to open a factory in Newton Aycliffe next year, creating an initial 730 jobs in the north east of England. Hitachi Rail aims to expand [...]
Fast-drying concrete cost Victoria Line passengers 100,000 hours, says TfL April 7, 2014 The spillage of some fast-setting concrete saw London's Victoria Line halted in January this year, as a signal room was flooded with the stuff. “We understand that a foot of concrete burst into the control room having been poured into an escalator void,” a spokesman for the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers, [...]
Focus on… Stratford: Stratford’s racing to the finish line April 24, 2014 EVERYONE knows that the Olympic Games were held in Stratford, east London, nearly two years ago, but few people know it for much else. It’s true that, since the opening of Westfield Stratford City, millions of people go there to shop – but how many are looking to live there? Despite the pre-Olympics hype, house [...]
Rising prices see Brits working three more days a year February 10, 2014 On average people are having to work three more days a year to pay for essential items such as gas, water and electricity compared to 2010, according to research carried out exclusively for ITV News. In 2013, the rising cost of utilities meant the average UK employee had to work for 20.1 days (based on [...]