Tube stations shuttered, railways hubs eerily deserted — even Euston Station is exhibiting an air of calm. But beneath it all, the disruption and chaos are widespread.
Of course, Londoners know the drill by now. For those able to work from home, it means a change of scenery. For the rest, it requires studying bus timetables, returning to the car or bike to reach work. If only the Government and unions could demonstrate the same spirit to get around the negotiating table and sort things out.
Covid-19 has at least prepared us for this eventuality. The disruption to the entire economy is not as great as it would have been in the age before Zoom or Slack, let alone the internet. But it is still substantial. And for the schoolchildren taking GCSEs today, nurses and doctors on their way to hospital, and retail workers, who have no option but to swim against this tide, it is of little comfort.
Meanwhile, the price, particularly to leisure and hospitality businesses, remains substantial. One leading City economist forecasts the strike will cost London’s economy around £120 million in lost output.
Restaurants are reporting bookings falling by 50 per cent or more. For businesses, which did so much to survive the pandemic, these strikes are simply the last thing they need. And staff, already facing a cost-of-living crisis, are set to lose hours. You can understand why some are calling this the “RMT variant”.
Once again, ordinary people are caught in the crossfire between increasingly militant unions and intransigent politicians. Londoners are showing that Blitz spirit, but they shouldn’t have to.
Muratov goes beyond
When Dmitry Muratov won the Nobel Peace Prize last year, he dedicated it to fellow journalists who had been killed for doing their jobs, including Anna Politkovskaya, Yuri Shchekochikhin, Natalya Estemirova, Anastasia Baburova and Stanislav Markelov. Muratov has now auctioned off his gold medal, and in doing so raised £84 million for child refugees fleeing the war in Ukraine.
It was never easy to be an editor who told the truth in Vladimir Putin’s Russia. But when the country invaded Ukraine, it became virtually impossible. The Russian government passed a law criminalising the dissemination of “false information” about the Russian army, with anyone who described Russia’s actions as a “war” facing heavy fines or closures. Muratov’s website, Novaya Gazeta, part-owned by Alexander Lebedev, father of the proprietor of the Evening Standard, eventually faced little choice but to halt publication.
As a journalist, Muratov has done so much for ordinary Russians. Now, as a humanitarian, he is doing the same for Ukrainians. And for everyone else, he and his colleagues serve as a reminder to cherish our precious freedoms.
Happy 40th, William
Happy birthday, Prince William. Life, as the saying goes, begins at 40. His significant milestone also comes at an inflexion point for the monarchy.
For many years now, the Duke of Cambridge has been readying himself for the modern, streamlined monarchy he wants to build, paying an active role alongside his father, the Prince of Wales.
As he takes on ever more responsibilities, we send him every best wishes for today and the future.
