The truth about rickshaws in London: Here’s why Boris Johnson’s crusade to ban them might be pointless May 15, 2015 Boris Johnson renewed his crusade against rickshaws, aka pedicabs this afternoon, the announcing he wanted to ban them on London's streets to "ease congestion". His gripes are twofold. Firstly, the lack of regulation for rickshaws means no one is entirely sure how many there are and how to control numbers or the safety of passengers. [...]
Kevin Pietersen could sue over ECB row, say lawyers May 15, 2015 Controversial batsman Kevin Pietersen could take legal action against the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) over claims that he was misled regarding his chances of earning an international recall, according to leading sports lawyers. Pietersen has alleged that he was “deceived” by incoming ECB chairman Colin Graves, arguing that he was told there [...]
Chuka Umunna’s odds on becoming Mayor of London were just slashed after withdrawing from Labour leadership contest May 15, 2015 The odds of Chuka Umunna becoming the Mayor of London have been slashed after the shadow business secretary withdrew from the contest to become the next leader of the Labour party. Umunna is now 12/1 to become the new Boris, shortening from previous odds of 33/1, Paddy Power said. The MP for Streatham had been favourite [...]
Shadow business secretary Chuka Umunna withdraws from Labour leadership race May 15, 2015 Labour shadow business secretary Chuka Umunna has withdrawn from the race for Labour leadership, he said today. In a statement posted on his Twitter account, the Streatham MP said he had "not found [the leadership race] to be a comfortable experience". "One can imagine what running for leader can be like, understand its demands and [...]
Budget 2015: Here’s Britain’s wish list for George Osborne – more spending on NHS, education, tax cuts and transport, slash pensions and benefits for older people May 15, 2015 [infographic id="117"] The British public want the government to spend more on the NHS, education and tax cuts, and slash the cash set aside for welfare and older people's benefits such as pensions, bus passes and the winter fuel allowance by £75bn. George Osborne is expected to announce his second Budget of the year shortly [...]
David Cameron and Nicola Sturgeon talk Scottish devolution as PM bids to save the union May 14, 2015 Prime Minister David Cameron and First Minister of Scotland Nicola Sturgeon will meet face-to-face for the first time today since last week’s General Election. The election ushered in big victories for both Cameron’s Conservatives and Sturgeon’s SNP, with the Prime Minister’s party securing an outright national majority and the Scottish nationalists winning 56 of Scotland’s [...]
Mario Draghi: Beware risks from surge in money printing May 14, 2015 Printing money can cause turbulence in financial markets, and could cause wealth inequalities to rise, European Central Bank (ECB) boss Mario Draghi warned yesterday. But the ECB President said that failing to act could be even more dangerous, and promised to carry on with ultra-low interest rates and quantitative easing “as long as needed for [...]
It’s time for David Cameron to make unpopular decisions – Editor’s Letter May 14, 2015 Today the hard work begins. After a few days where the Conservatives still seemed to be in full campaign mode, setting out their blue collar pitch for 2020, David Cameron’s speech in Scotland brings the hard decisions he faces in this Parliament back to the forefront. Rightly so. This government has a once-in-a-generation chance to [...]
George Osborne gives Goldman Sachs alum Jim O’Neill top Treasury job May 14, 2015 Former Goldman Sachs chief economist Jim O’Neill has been given a peerage and a top job in George Osborne’s treasury. The chancellor of the exchequer tweeted yesterday afternoon: “I am delighted to confirm Jim O’Neill as the new commercial secretary to the treasury to make devolution and the Northern Powerhouse happen.” https://twitter.com/George_Osborne/status/598855150640472064 Lord O’Neill, [...]
Alliance Trust unit pays £14m for Brewin Dolphin platform May 14, 2015 Alliance Trust’s savings division yesterday bought smaller stockbroking platform rival Stocktrade from Brewin Dolphin for £14m. Alliance Trust Savings (ATS), which has £7.2bn in assets, will add Stocktrade’s 48,000 customers, boosting its customer base to 105,000. Assets will also rise to £11.5bn after the deal completes. The group said the acquisition would allow it to [...]
