Hospitality sector bangs pots and pans in Parliament Square to call for further government support October 19, 2020 Chefs, farmers, waitresses and caterers took their pots and pans to Parliament Square today to make their calls for further government support for the hospitality sector heard across Westminster. Hundreds of workers from the food and drink industry urged ministers to provide fresh funding to save wide-scale job losses and venue closures, as further restrictions [...]
Number 10: Manchester hospitals will be soon overrun without Tier 3 restrictions October 19, 2020 Downing Street has said Manchester’s hospitals are weeks away from using up all their available intensive care beds if Covid infections continue at their current rate in a bid to ramp up pressure on Andy Burnham to accept Tier 3 restrictions. The Prime Minister’s spokesman told a group of journalists today that Covid cases in [...]
Brexit: EU needs to show ‘maturity’ in trade talks, says minister October 19, 2020 The EU has been immature and inflexible in trade negotiations but the door is “still ajar” for a Brexit trade deal, according to a cabinet minister. Boris Johnson said on Friday that the UK was finished negotiating with the EU unless it is willing to intensify talks and make key concessions. His words were seen [...]
Pound jumps on signs a Brexit deal can still be done October 19, 2020 The pound surged as investors bet that Brexit talks would resume – despite the UK’s tough rhetoric – and eventually result in some kind of free-trade agreement. Sterling was up 0.7 per cent by mid-morning at $1.30. It had risen 0.5 per cent against the euro to stand at €1.107. Prime Minister Boris Johnson struck [...]
UK can be a ‘free agent’ in financial markets after Brexit, says think tank October 19, 2020 The UK can be a significant “free agent” in the global banking and financial markets once Brexit is over, a new report claims. As negotiations continue in the next few weeks and Bois Johnson steps up his no-deal rhetoric, the UK’s banking and finance industry is in for a seismic change. A report by think [...]
Love in a time of Covid: A guide to lockdown dating October 19, 2020 Shakespeare’s assertion that “the course of true love never did run smooth” has never felt quite so true as it has during the pandemic for couples who don’t live together. This has become especially complicated with the introduction of different restriction levels across regional boundaries. From the beginning of lockdown, clarity on how to live [...]
London’s new cycle lanes are causing traffic chaos, says transport secretary October 19, 2020 An influx of new cycle lanes in London and across the country has led to increased traffic congestion, according to transport secretary Grant Shapps. Shapps has written to local council leaders, warning them that badly designed road closures and new cycle lanes were causing havoc for communities and that he “would not be prepared to [...]
Retail giants urge Sunak to U-turn on abolishing VAT refund for tourists October 19, 2020 A group of 16 UK retail giants has urged Rishi Sunak to U-turn on his plan to abolish the VAT refund for international visitors from next year. The group – which includes the heads of Paul Smith, Ted Baker, The White Company, Fortnum and Mason and Charles Tyrwhitt – said abolishing the VAT refund would [...]
Boris Johnson urges businesses to speed up Brexit preparations October 18, 2020 Boris Johnson will speak to business leaders this week to urge them to ramp up preparations for the UK’s exit from the EU single market and customs union next year as the prospect of a no-deal Brexit begins to look more likely. HM Revenue and Customs will contact 200,00 traders who deal with the EU [...]
Boris Johnson delaying choice on Covid lockdown as rapid testing nears October 18, 2020 Boris Johnson is reportedly delaying any decision on a national lockdown in the hope that new rapid turnaround Covid tests can be deployed before the end of the year. Johnson said last week that 1m “swab in the gob” tests, that give a result in 15 minutes, could be used every day by the end [...]