PUBLISHED: 15:09 06 August 2018 | UPDATED: 15:09 06 August 2018 Sam Gelder Arches traders outside Parliament after the meeting in June. Archant Traders fighting the imminent sale of Network Rail’s arches have laid out their demands to transport minister Jo Johnson following the successful meeting with him last month. Inside the arch of Chu's Garage in Helmsley Place, the Chu family, from left Quang Chu, Nhi Chu, Chau Chu and Jimmy Chu. Picture: Polly HancockThe Guardians of the Arches group was formed in London Fields 18 months ago to fight devastating rent hikes of up to 300 per cent and now has hundreds of members from across the country – plus the backing of the Labour party.The aim now is to stop the impending sale of all 4,555 arches to one buyer on a 99-year lease. Traders believe it will leave them at the mercy of a faceless corporate landlord with little care for their livelihoods.Last month Mr Johnson agreed to listen to alternatives … [Read more...] about Guardians of the Arches: Traders hand Jo Johnson list of demands in bid to stop Network Rail sale
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Herts and Cambs MPs press Jo Johnson on compensation for carnet tickets and interim timetable
PUBLISHED: 07:00 24 July 2018 Fraser Whieldon A Thameslink train www.peteralvey.com MPs have been questioning the lack of compensation for carnet ticket holders on Thameslink and Great Northern services and the problems with the new timetable. Last week, it was announced Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR), which runs Thameslink and Great Northern, would help pay compensation to season ticket holders.This followed months of disruption on services, including delays, cancellations and overcrowding, following a botched timetable change in May.Answering an urgent question posed by Labour in the House of Commons last week, rail minister Jo Johnson said: “The Department for Transport is closely monitoring for sustained performance improvements by GTR, and we will be holding it and its new chief executive officer to account. “At the same time, the department has been working hard to make sure passengers receive compensation and an explanation for the … [Read more...] about Herts and Cambs MPs press Jo Johnson on compensation for carnet tickets and interim timetable
Guardians of the Arches: Transport minister Jo Johnson agrees to consider alternatives to Network Rail sale
PUBLISHED: 15:51 23 July 2018 | UPDATED: 15:57 23 July 2018 Sam Gelder Traders from Chu's Garage, E5 Bakery, Maxwell & Pinborough, and Sulamen Ozer. Picture: Polly Hancock Archant Transport minister Jo Johnson has agreed to consider alternatives to Network Rail’s impending sale of its 4,555 railway arches to one buyer. Members from The Guardians of the Arches, a growing group of 300 business owners formed in London Fields, met Mr Johnson and Network Rail chiefs on Wednesday to argue their side.Traders say plans to sell all the arches in the UK on a 99-year lease will leave them at the mercy of a faceless corporate landlord with little care for their livelihoods.Instead they wanted to delay the sale so they can be involved in the process and come up with alternatives, a proposal the minister committed to taking seriously.One alternative is for groups of arches to be sold to local authorities, an idea Hackney mayor Phil Glanville told transport … [Read more...] about Guardians of the Arches: Transport minister Jo Johnson agrees to consider alternatives to Network Rail sale
No, Tory Jo Johnson was not being fed answers through a wire on Question Time
Viewers were left baffled last night, after a mystery voice spoke out on Tory minister Jo Johnson’s microphone during an episode of BBC Question Time. The Transport Minister was discussing the Cabinet’s discussions on military intervention in Syria, when a second voice was clearly heard on the footage. Mr Johnson blustered for a moment, before declaring “this is technology interfering”. In the hours following the odd moment, conspiracy theories sprung up online, prompted by some politics bloggers and YouTube video channels. Was Johnson wearing an MI6 wire? Was he being fed the answers by some shadowy figure behind the scenes? Sadly the reality is slightly more mundane. Here’s what happened. He forgot to turn his phone off In what should, to be honest, be a sacking offence for a sitting government minister, Jo Johnson failed to power down his phone before going on an hour-long broadcast television programme. So what was the mysterious voice? It was Siri. … [Read more...] about No, Tory Jo Johnson was not being fed answers through a wire on Question Time
Who is on Question Time this week? Jo Johnson, Barry Gardiner, Nicola Horlick, Jonathan Freedland and Kate Andrews
QUESTION TIME returns this week - with a fresh panel ready to debate the biggest issues of the week. Here's who is on the show tonight and what time you can catch it - with the deteriorating situation in Syria likely to feature prominently. Who's on Question Time tonight, what time is it on and where is it broadcasting from? Tonight, Question Time will be broadcast from Liverpool. It will start at 10.45pm on BBC One and can also be listened to on BBC Radio 5 Live. As always, the discussion will be chaired by David Dimbleby. Representing the Government this week is Conservative MP for Orpington Jo Johnson, the younger brother of Foreign Secretary Boris. Also on the panel are Labour MP Barry Gardiner, investment fund manager and writer Nicola Horlick, Guardian columnist Jonathan Freedland and Kate Andrews from the Institute of Economic Affairs. Who is Question Time host David Dimbleby? Question Time is helmed by veteran broadcaster David Dimbleby, 79, and has been since 1994. He … [Read more...] about Who is on Question Time this week? Jo Johnson, Barry Gardiner, Nicola Horlick, Jonathan Freedland and Kate Andrews