A power-related Google Cloud outage disrupted UK banking and remote court hearings on 20 October, prompting scrutiny from financial regulators and MPs.
Staff member · 3 min readFormer Labour Cabinet minister Lord John Hutton has been selected as prospective chairman of Thames Water if a creditor-led rescue deal goes ahead.
Charlotte Mercer · 2 min readMinisters have confirmed Bradford Interchange as the site of a new railway station under Northern Powerhouse Rail, with delivery planned for the 2030s. Detailed station design remains undecided.
Charlotte Mercer · 2 min readChancellor John Healey has backed the economic case for a third runway at Heathrow, contrasting with Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s refusal to endorse the proposal before further decisions.
Staff member · 3 min readA Commons committee says bridges and tunnels could improve transport for Scottish island communities, urging ministers to consider support while warning ferries remain essential.
Charlotte Mercer · 2 min readThames Water is asking creditors to support an additional £2.4 billion emergency funding facility as it warns existing liquidity may last only until late 2026 or early 2027.
Charlotte Mercer · 2 min readThe Environment Agency has declared drought in Yorkshire following months of low rainfall, with rivers and reservoirs depleted despite recent rain.
Charlotte Mercer · 2 min readThe Conservatives have unveiled a sweeping deregulation programme which they claim could cut the cost of a new-build home by up to £50,000, including abolishing the Environment Agency and Natural England as separate bodies.
Charlotte Mercer · 4 min readPrime Minister Andy Burnham is to create Great British Grid, a new publicly owned body within Great British Energy intended to invest in electricity infrastructure and speed up grid connections.
Charlotte Mercer · 2 min readThe Government has confirmed that Avanti West Coast services will transfer into public ownership on 7 March 2027, alongside an improvement programme for the West Coast Main Line.
Charlotte Mercer · 3 min readPrime Minister Andy Burnham has declined to back a third runway at Heathrow, saying the views of Londoners should be heard before he takes a position on the project.
Charlotte Mercer · 2 min readThe National Audit Office has warned that households could face higher electricity bills unless Britain accelerates a £70 billion programme to upgrade the power grid, with congestion costs potentially reaching £7.8 billion a year by 2030.
Charlotte Mercer · 4 min readAndy Burnham has announced 29 new battery-electric trains for TransPennine Express, with the fleet to be built by Alstom in Derby and enter service in the 2030s.
Charlotte Mercer · 3 min readMore than £1.5 billion has been allocated to over 950 NHS hospital projects across England, including major building schemes and hundreds of safety, maintenance, cooling and resilience improvements.
Charlotte Mercer · 3 min readTransport Secretary Heidi Alexander has summoned NATS chief executive Martin Rolfe after a major air traffic control failure caused more than 1,000 flight cancellations and widespread disruption across UK airports.
Charlotte Mercer · 3 min readA technical failure in NATS' flight processing system caused widespread disruption at major UK airports, with Gatwick departures temporarily grounded and Heathrow, Manchester, Stansted and other airports hit by delays and restrictions.
Charlotte Mercer · 3 min readThe Government has set Great British Railways a new target to increase rail freight by at least 40% by 2040, with the Railways Bill providing for the target to form part of the new body's statutory framework.
Charlotte Mercer · 2 min read