US, China set for second day of trade talks in London
Top U.S. and Chinese officials will resume trade talks for a second day in London on Tuesday, hoping to secure a breakthrough over export controls for goods such as rare earths that have threatened a global supply chain shock and slower economic growth. Julian Satterthwaite reports.
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Times
41 minutes ago
- Times
HS2 boss took home £4.5m during ‘appalling mess' of project
The former chief of HS2 took home £4.5 million of taxpayers' money while presiding over an 'appalling mess' of a project that wasted billions. Mark Thurston was at the helm of the disgraced scheme for six and a half years before leaving in September 2023 and then becoming chief executive of Anglian Water. He has been banned by ministers from receiving a bonus at the water company for the last financial year because it was found to have polluted our rivers. While at HS2, Thurston's pay ranged from £585,000 to £676,000 a year including bonuses and other taxable benefits. During his time at the government-owned company he took home £4,449,977. He joined HS2 in 2017, shortly after parliament signed off the building of the project's first phase. He previously worked on the 2012 London Olympics and Crossrail, now the Elizabeth Line, the heavily delayed new railway through central London. Thurston's oversight of HS2 was put under the spotlight this week when his successor's initial findings into the failures of the project were published. Heidi Alexander, the transport secretary, told the Commons on Wednesday that the scheme had become an 'appalling mess' after years of mismanagement. She said: 'It gives me no pleasure to deliver news like this. Billions of pounds of taxpayers' money has been wasted by constant scope changes, ineffective contracts and bad management.' Mark Wild, who took over the running of HS2 in December last year, has been carrying out a root and branch review of the scheme in an bid to stem ballooning costs and restore proper oversight. Wild's salary will be declared in accounts published this summer although his base salary is said to be lower than Thurston's. The project was originally due to cost £32.7 billion — in 2011 prices — with the first leg between London and the Midlands opening in late 2026. The pared-back scheme could now cost more than £100 billion. In a letter to Alexander, published on Wednesday, Wild said: 'The position I have inherited in HS2 Ltd is unacceptable; the organisation has failed in its mission to control costs and deliver to schedule.' It was announced that Thurston, 58, was leaving HS2 in July 2023. He said the project was the 'highlight of my career', adding: 'I have agreed with the board that someone else should lead the organisation and programme through what will be another defining period for HS2.' His appointment to Anglian Water, which he joined in July last year, caused much comment, not least because of government criticisms of the financial stewardship of HS2. Responding in November last year, he told The Times: 'If customers want to challenge my appointment, all I can say is that it was a very thorough and comprehensive process. 'The board clearly thought I was a good fit. They have to account for that and only time will tell whether it was a good appointment.' Transport bosses are traditionally the highest paid public servants in the country, with those in the rail industry in particular receiving the biggest remuneration packages. The last time the Cabinet Office reported on senior civil service pay was in 2023 with figures for the previous year. The list was not updated in 2024 by the Conservatives before the election. It revealed that the 45 highest paid staff at HS2 had a combined pay packet of £8.9 million. Of the top 20 best paid, only six still work at the company three years later. It is understood that many senior executives left the company after Rishi Sunak cancelled the northern leg of the project in October 2023. A spokesman for HS2 Ltd said: ' Mark Wild is leading a comprehensive reset of HS2 to ensure the project can be delivered for the lowest reasonable cost. This includes reviewing and simplifying the structure of HS2 Ltd itself — putting more focus on front-line delivery of the railway and bearing down on unnecessary costs. 'This year, we have frozen pay and withheld all bonuses for staff in the highest grades at HS2 Ltd.'
BBC News
an hour ago
- BBC News
Birmingham artist secures colour palette commission in New York
A Birmingham artist who turned his love of colour and typography into a business during the Covid lockdown is celebrating his first overseas Barnfield created The Colour Palette Company and his work can be found across the UK - with towns and cities showcasing colours that are readily associated with local he has produced a colour palette for the Corning Museum of Glass in New York worked with Birmingham Museums Trust, the Museum of Liverpool and York Museums, this latest work reflects the history and artistry of glass. "I knew our colour palettes were proving popular, and we have had interest from overseas – then out of nowhere the museum reached out after seeing our work on social media," said Mr Barnfield. "It's a huge honour to collaborate with such a prestigious institution and to bring our colour storytelling to an international institution for the first time."He added: "It has been quite a journey and one that I'm really enjoying. The Corning Museum of Glass feels like a milestone moment, especially seeing it's one of the largest museum gift shops in the United States." Follow BBC Birmingham on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
BBC News
2 hours ago
- BBC News
Liverpool Street station plan a financial 'gamble', opponents say
The redesign of London's Liverpool Street station has been described by opponents as a "billion pound gamble" after a report raised doubts over its financial review found the planned scheme was not currently profitable due to the expected costs of revamping the Victorian site compared with the income it would the plan was close to becoming viable due to a likely upturn in economic Victorian Society said relying on an economic boost was "remarkably cavalier and not in the public interest". Network Rail said it was confident the project could progress and that it would generate "hundreds of millions of pounds". The firm said the project aimed to future-proof the station for the 200 million passengers using it each original redevelopment proposals were scaled back due to strong opposition. But a new office block above the station is still planned, as well as new entrances, concourses and some external recent viability assessment, by real estate services firm JLL, was prepared as part of the planning application and weighed up costs against rental values for the concluded the project was not "technically viable" - meaning it would not be profitable based on current growth it said the local office rental market was "cyclical", and was likely to be buoyed if the local authority approved the scheme, according to the Local Democracy Reporting also said "relatively few further efficiencies or market improvement" were needed in order for the plans to become financially sound. The Victorian Society's director James Hughes said: "This is one of the country's most important and impressive historic railway stations, as well as one of its busiest. It should not be a token in a billion-pound gamble."The report itself concludes that the works proposed would not fund the works to the station, only a part of them, unless favourable market conditions emerge," he said.A spokesperson for Network Rail: "Our plan will tackle congestion, improve accessibility and enhance the customer is an operationally led scheme that will generate hundreds of millions of pounds."Although the City property market is cyclical, there is a rising demand for landmark office space."We are confident in being able to bring this scheme forward and working with future partners means the scheme can be delivered at no cost to the customers or the taxpayer."
