Brexit: Lords ready to block Johnson’s plan to override withdrawal deal September 11, 2020 The House of Lords may block Boris Johnson’s efforts to pass controversial legislation seeking to override the Brexit withdrawal agreement, peers have warned. Former Conservative Party leader, Lord Howard of Lympne, said he would be “very surprised” if the UK Internal Market Bill was passed through the House of Lords. The pro-Brexiteer has become the [...]
Heathrow passenger numbers plummet more than 80 per cent in August September 11, 2020 Heathrow Airport has reported an 81.5 per cent fall in passengers for August compared with last year and has called on the government again to change quarantine rules. The London-based airport was the busiest in Europe prior to the Covid-19 pandemic but has suffered significantly this year. It said its passengers from North America had [...]
Exclusive: Richer London boroughs suffer biggest fall in lockdown spending September 11, 2020 Some of London’s most prosperous boroughs suffered the biggest falls in spending during lockdown and saw a more sluggish recovery as richer households’ lifestyles were curtailed, while less affluent areas saw a smaller drop, data provided exclusively to City PM has suggested. Yet some of the richer boroughs – where residents have thriving food scenes [...]
Canada Corporation hits out at China for breaching its UK treaty September 10, 2020 Canada Corporation has accused China of breaching the Sino-British treaty, after imposing draconian national security laws on Hong Kong. The local authority’s Court of Common Council – which comprises all of its elected officials – voted in favour of the motion, which accused Beijing of denying Hong Kongers the right to enjoy [...]
One in five Londoners will not go back to pre-Covid levels of Tube usage September 10, 2020 A little more than one in five Londoners do not believe they will use the Tube at the same frequency as they did prior to the coronavirus pandemic, according to a new survey. A newly released YouGov survey, seen exclusively by City PM, showed that 22 per cent of Londoners expect their decreased use of [...]
Exclusive: Bank of England spends £120,000 making HQ Covid-secure September 10, 2020 The Bank of England has been hugely busy during the coronavirus pandemic, pulling the levers of monetary policy in a desperate effort to support the economy. But it has also been working hard closer to home. It has spent at least £117,000 on making its historic Threadneedle Street headquarters as safe as possible during Covid [...]
Exclusive: London consumer spending soars during cheap meal scheme September 10, 2020 The Eat Out to Help Out scheme gave London restaurants a huge boost in August, with spending jumping to just 10 per cent below its 2019 level, according to the latest data provided exclusively to City PM Food and beverage spending in London in July was a whopping 39.1 per cent lower than a year [...]
London Tech Week: Let’s call time on the capital’s tech ‘not spots’ September 10, 2020 Walking through east London this summer, the beating heart of the UK’s tech ecosystem had become a ghost city, with empty streets, co-working spaces and cafes. Like most industries, the Covid-19 pandemic has driven the sector behind closed doors. Yet, bubbling below the surface is a defiant community of tech entrepreneurs that will prove absolutely [...]
Hammersmith Bridge: Government thinks TfL inflated £140m repair estimate September 9, 2020 The government is refusing to fund repairs for the closed Hammersmith Bridge because it believes the £140m price tag has been inflated by the local council and Transport for London (TfL), City PM can reveal. A source close to transport secretary Grant Shapps said the government wants to fund the restoration of the 133-year-old West [...]
Back to work: Half of Londoners miss socialising with colleagues, survey finds September 9, 2020 Half of Londoners have missed socialising with their colleagues while they have been working from home during the coronavirus pandemic, a survey has found as more staff return to offices. Many employers are seeking to permanently embrace home working after lockdown forced offices to close. However 49 per cent of London-based office staff have missed [...]
