Last week’s four-day Tube strike was not simply an inconvenience; it was a deliberate act of economic vandalism against the capital and the country. Around 10,000 London Underground workers walked out after rejecting Transport for London’s (TfL) offer of a 3.4% pay rise. Despite already benefitting from one of the shortest working weeks, the RMT, is demanding a cut from 35 hours to 32 at a time when TfL’s finances are already stretched thin, and taxpayers are still propping up the system after the pandemic. The consequences of this action were immediate and painful. For four days, London’s Tube network was virtually shut down. Passenger numbers across TfL fell by at least 20–25% compared with normal levels, according to TfL’s own figures. Buses and the Elizabeth Line were overwhelmed; some commuters reported journeys taking two to three times longer than usual. The London Chamber of Commerce estimated the economic hit at £230 million — a price ultimately borne by small businesses, shopkeepers, and the very workers the unions claim to defend. It is hard to justify such disruption. London Underground drivers already earn an average of £63,000 a year, far higher than the national median salary of £35,000. Demanding fewer hours on top of inflation-matching pay rises is simply tone-deaf when millions of private-sector workers are struggling with frozen wages, rising mortgage costs, and record tax burdens.
I was pleased last week to present a brand new, British made, union jack flag to the 1st Petworth Scout Group. The gift followed a competition I launched for local groups and individuals to receive one of five flags I have purchased. Group Leader Martin Taylor said the Scouts would “fly the flag proudly” at their headquarters and during community occasions such as Remembrance Sunday, St George’s Day, and local clean-ups. He added that the flag would inspire young people with values of “unity, respect, and service” while strengthening their pride in both Petworth and the UK.
