The prodigal daughter returns: a love letter to the Northern Line after four long months May 17, 2022 Being grateful for the Monday morning commute is normally the purview of yoga bloggers or influencers, not journalists. But yesterday was a moment to rejoice as the Bank branch of the Northern Line finally reopened its doors after four long months of stasis. The closure of the Moorgate to Kennington service was announced last year [...]
On the Irish border, the speed of a compromise will determine future stability May 17, 2022 In Northern Ireland, fights over the rules governing the border threaten the fragile peace
Letters: Putting it bluntly on cannabis May 17, 2022 [Re: Sadiq Khan could be leading the way in deserting the foolish war on drugs, yesterday] It is right to say the war on drugs is being lost by the government and police. Every city estate in the country has a problem, visible or invisible. One woman in my estate, in a leafy green area [...]
Letters: A new retention strategy May 16, 2022 [Re: Lack of housing ambition is a recipe for disaster for the capital, May 12] The transition to working from home and the exodus of people leaving London for the countryside, caused by the pandemic, has triggered changes across the commercial and property landscapes. Our capital is having to adapt, as a lack of housing [...]
Explainer-in-brief: Job-cutting government takes aim at civil service May 16, 2022 Boris Johnson is considering reducing the number of civil servants by more than 90,000, reaching an even lower level than what was planned pre-Brexit. Formal discussions will start next week, and will likely intensify tensions between ministers and civil servants. Relations have been strained recently, worsened by the row on working from home sparked by [...]
Sadiq Khan could be leading the way in deserting the foolish war on drugs May 16, 2022 Those who like to think they take the long view of history will tell you that the “war on drugs” started in 1971, when Richard Nixon declared illegal narcotics to be public enemy number one. Yet its lineage extended far further back than that: in the US, Congress banned alcohol for nearly 15 years from [...]
We must take responsibility and encourage equity of progression in financial services May 16, 2022 We live in an uneven – some might say unfair – society where equity of progression has been long out of reach for those who need it most. In last week’s Queen’s Speech, the government outlined steps to address this – including the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill, as well as related legislation to quash [...]
London’s housing supply is not fit for purpose, and we need a bit of bravery to fix it May 16, 2022 The housing market in London is extremely hard to navigate. Students looking for a flat to rent with two or three friends often have to give up on the idea of a living room for reasons of price. Older couples who might want to relocate after the kids have moved out often don’t, because there’s [...]
Letters: Are we trusting the Bank? May 13, 2022 [Re: UK recession to hit sooner than first thought as economy shrinks unexpectedly, yesterday] With the UK seemingly entering a period of stagflation, it’s clear that the Bank of England has taken the right course of action by raising interest rates earlier this week – a necessary move to help tackle the challenge faced by [...]
Explainer-in-brief: Inside Nato’s Nordic expansion and enlargement policy May 13, 2022 Finland has announced it wants to apply to join Nato within days, while Sweden is also considering the option. The two countries bordering Russia aim to strengthen their security in the aftermath of the Kremlin’s invasion of Ukraine. If the two countries send their applications next week, Nato should accept them quickly, but the full [...]