Former BoE governor says extend furlough scheme indefinitely May 12, 2020 Rishi Sunak should announce an indefinite extension of the coronavirus furlough scheme today with no changes to the level of pay, according to the former Bank of England (BoE) governor. Lord Mervyn King, who was the BoE helmsman during the 2008 financial crisis, said today that the scheme should be in place until “the economy [...]
Extend job retention scheme or risk ‘second wave’ of unemployment, says think tank May 12, 2020 Chancellor Rishi Sunak should extend the job retention scheme until September and longer for some sectors to help stave off a “second surge” in unemployment, a leading think tank has said. The Resolution Foundation said some sectors would need support for longer than others and suggested the scheme should run until the end of the [...]
UK coronavirus deaths top 38,000 May 12, 2020 The UK’s coronavirus death toll surpassed 38,000 in early May, by far the worst recorded in Europe, data showed today. Including suspected cases, UK coronavirus deaths numbered 34,978 on 1 May in England and Wales, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). With previous data for Scotland and Northern Ireland that took the UK [...]
Ten per cent of London’s population may have caught coronavirus May 11, 2020 Ten per cent of London’s population are estimated to have coronavirus antibodies, compared to around four per cent of the UK population, the government’s chief scientific adviser said today. “In London, it might be from that time, maybe 10 percent of people positive for antibodies, suggesting that’s the sort of range of infection, and across [...]
Boris Johnson defends government’s new ‘stay alert’ coronavirus slogan May 11, 2020 Prime Minister Boris Johnson tonight defended the government’s new “stay alert” message in the face of criticism it was unclear. Johnson, in answer to questions from the public and the media, said the clarity of the government’s previous “stay at home” message was difficult to emulate as the UK begins to return to work. Pooja [...]
Sir Keir Starmer: Coronavirus roadmap ‘needs clear directions’ May 11, 2020 Sir Keir Starmer has called for greater clarity from the government on its coronavirus recovery strategy in his first televised address. The leader of the opposition was granted a four-minute televised address by the BBC to respond to Prime Minister’s Boris Johnson’s last night in which he laid out the government’s plan for easing the [...]
Mayor candidate Shaun Bailey: TfL bailout was ‘inevitable’ May 11, 2020 London mayoral candidate Shaun Bailey has claimed that Transport for London’s (TfL) bailout bid was “inevitable” and would have happened even without the coronavirus crisis. The Tory candidate told City A.M.’s daily podcast The City View that TfL was “bankrupt, virtually” and that its bid for a £2bn bailout from central government was because of [...]
Exclusive: EU accused of ‘politicising’ City of London in Brexit trade talks May 11, 2020 EU negotiators have been accused of politicising the UK’s financial services sector in Brexit trade talks, after suggestions the bloc could shut the City of London out of its markets if the UK does not budge on other areas during negotiations. A senior EU official told City A.M. that Brussels will only grant the British [...]
Life after lockdown: What are the new UK social distancing rules? May 11, 2020 After seven weeks of social distancing, the UK government is beginning to ease its coronavirus lockdown measures. Boris Johnson announced a conditional plan in an address on Sunday night for a partial easing of the UK lockdown. The measures, which have now been outlined in a 60-page document, form the first phase of the government’s [...]
Coronavirus: Government U-turns on face mask advice May 11, 2020 People in England have been told to wear face masks on public transport and in some shops after the government reversed its decision on personal protective equipment (PPE). In a 51-page document published this afternoon, the government said face coverings should be worn in situations where social distancing is not always possible. According to the [...]