Active funds pivot to ESG in bid to fight off passive trackers October 8, 2020 ESG funds are going some way in helping active fund managers stave off the threat of the increasingly popular passive trackers. Inflows into active ESG funds reached a record £392m in September taking the quarterly total to £1bn, according to data from funds network Calastone. The continued emphasis on ESG-led investment strategies contrasts with the [...]
Liz Truss warns of the dangers of another England lockdown October 7, 2020 International trade secretary Liz Truss has said that another national lockdown would “set us back hugely” as the government weighs up imposing new Covid restrictions. Cases continue to spike in parts of the North, including Liverpool, Manchester and Newcastle, with some media outlets speculating that hospitality venues could be closed except for takeaways in these [...]
Consumer survey sees Netflix on top of Covid-19 satisfaction rankings – with Ryanair grounded October 7, 2020 A consumer ranking of how businesses performed for their customers during the Covid-19 pandemic has seen Netflix and Amazon take first and second spot. At the other end of the scale, power companies were seen to be thoroughly underperforming – with more of the bottom five responsible for gas and electricity. Read more: The businesses [...]
Major evacuation from St Paul’s after suspected gas leak October 6, 2020 More than 200 people have been evacuated from St Paul’s Cathedral and surrounding businesses after a suspected gas leak. The London Fire Brigade said it had been called to a restaurant and office block in St Paul’s Churchyard at 1.20pm on Tuesday. The fire service said it believed it had been a gas leak from [...]
GSK antibody treatment trial to move onto next phase October 6, 2020 Glaxosmithkline’s trial of an experimental antibody to treat coronavirus will progress on to the next stage after initial use by volunteers did not raise any safety concerns. The pharmaceutical giant, along with partner Vir Biotechnology, started testing the treatment on early-stage Covid-19 patients in August, hoping to keep symptoms from progressing. The antibody is thought [...]
UK-US trade deal will not lead to surge in junk food ads, says Liz Truss October 4, 2020 A UK-US trade deal will not lead to the UK becoming awash with junk food advertising, according to trade secretary Liz Truss. Truss told the Conservative party conference today that any deal with the US would not compromise the UK’s food standards or Boris Johnson’s recently unveiled obesity strategy. Leon co-owner Henry Dimbleby recently claimed [...]
Priti Patel promises overhaul of the UK asylum system October 4, 2020 Home secretary Priti Patel has vowed to deliver the “biggest overhaul” of the UK asylum system in decades. Patel used her speech at the Conservative party conference to promise a “firm, but fair” asylum policy to get control of the increasing number of immigrants illegally crossing the Channel. Patel has reportedly been considering a wide [...]
Brexit: Boris Johnson says he does not want a no-deal exit from EU October 4, 2020 Boris Johnson has said he does not want a no-deal Brexit, but that the UK would “more than live with it” if need be. Johnson said today that a deal “was there to be done”, just a day after the UK and EU agreed to extend negotiations a further two weeks, but that gaps remain [...]